The Fighter
by Iradite
Summary: What if Deku met All Might one year earlier under different circumstances? What if he had just a bit of a different philosophy? A story about hard work, boxing, and dreams. (Izuku X Harem)
1. Chapter 1 - Perspective

_Not all men were created equal._

"K-Kacchan...if y-you don't stay away from him...I'll…" the young boy swallowed drily as his knees both shook and wobbled nervously as he did his best to dig after any conviction he could still muster "I'll stop you myself…!"

 _Sometimes when you look at the cards you were dealt, it all seems unfair. It seems you were set up to lose from the start._

"Please Deku, when are you gonna learn that a quirkless wimp like you can't stand up to us." the blond, spiky-haired kid would laugh along with his friends as they walked away from the battered and bruised boy who tried to pick himself up from the ground.

 _Everyone hits a spot like that, a place with no ways out, no plays to make, no bluffs, no luck._

The teen sighed as he dealt with another sleepless night, rubbing his tired, but in a way, still restless eyes as he continued scribbling away at his Hero Notebook, the third one in the series. This page was always hard. Picturing himself as a hero, he tried to always do that at the end of each notebook, as a way to look back on the knowledge and see how much he had learned and improved along the way...and he always got stuck on it.

 _A spot that makes you wonder the point of the game, why play a rigged match after all? Why not just fold? Give the chips in, walk away, flip the table, what's the point?_

He rested his back against his chair as he covered his eyes with his thumb and index finger, trying to fight the flood for the first few moments before losing the battle as a pair of glistening drops flowed down along his flushed cheeks as he choked on a quiet sob. Even in his storm of emotions, all he could think of right now is being quiet, keeping to himself...mom shouldn't have to see this.

 _But a hero always smiled, even with a bad hand, even with no ways out of the corner, they keep smiling brightly, their grin shining brightly like a shield that never lets anything pass. It all just gets knocked off!_

That's how Izuku chose to live. Even if sometimes he broke. Even if he sometimes felt hopeless, he found strength in smiles. Sometimes he felt silly and childish for it, but it worked.

So day by day he went, smiling his smile, even if his face was bruised, even if he was tired, even if his lips quivered, he smiled proudly and strongly just like All Might always did.

And to be honest, that smile seemed to be annoying one Katsuki Bakugou right now as he pinned the green haired twelve years old against the wall with a huff.

"Why do you keep getting in my way Deku?!" he growled threateningly as a few loud flashes popped brightly from his free hand, which he made sure to keep close to the boy's face "I'm getting sick and tired of you and that dumb smile on your face!"

For Izuku it was just instinctive, he was shaking, every bit of him was trembling, but even as he felt his tears building behind his eyelids, his lips were still glued in an awkward, upwards curve as his leftmost eyes instinctively closed to shield itself from the flashes being emitted from Bakugou's palm "B-Because…!" Midoriya swallowed as he struggled slightly against the stronger teen's grip around his collar "Y-You can't keep….b-bullying people, Kachan...I can't let you…"

Bakugou only became angrier at the statement "Who says so? You? You're just a quirkless wimp who can't do anything about it!" he would spit out with an enraged hiss as he emitted a louder blast from his palm, earning another whimper from the boy he was currently tormenting "Yet you keep getting in my way...you keep holding that stupid smile!"

"A-A hero…always smiles...no matter how bad things look!" Izuku would answer, and to the blond's annoyance, his eyes would focus with a gaze drenched in conviction as he exclaimed his life's mantra.

The explosive maniac growled for a few seconds, clenching his blast ridden hand into a fist before swinging it down against the green haired boy's face, sending him skidding a few steps before tumbling down to the ground clutching his bruise.

"Still saying that nonsense about being a hero and All Might...what gives you the right?!" Katsuki shouted in unrestrained anger as the loud clank of metal from his foot colliding with a nearby trash can echoed out through the alley. "You're quirkless! You think writing down those stupid books all day is gonna change anything?! You act like a way to be a hero is just gonna drop from the sky! Get real, Deku!"

Midorya's smile seemed to finally waver as his childhood 'friend's' words cut through his tenacity like a drill slowly sinking into the layer of the previously sturdy rock formation. His lips quivered as he looked up at Bakugo, meeting the hateful sneer he threw over his shoulder towards him as he felt his own gaze weaken against the pressure of the tears he was holding back.

"What kind of hero just stands around crying all day like it's gonna change anything?! Do yourself a favor and give up already, go try to sell those stupid books to kids since writing those is all you're willing to do!"

That was the last Izuku could hear as Katsuki walked away, proceeding to wherever he was going as Deku was left to slowly steady his breathing and pick himself off the ground and pat the dust off his uniform with a defeated sigh.

This was always the same, Kacchan always gave him a hard time so…why did it seem like this time it stung even harder than usual? Why did it give him this cold, anxious sensation deep in his gut that left him breathless?

Izuku tried to swallow down the sensation as he went on his way home, not to be late for dinner or else his mother would worry...but still, even if Katsuki was always mean and always said hateful things...this time...was he right?

He wasn't kind with his words, that was a given, but…

" _In a way, he has a point doesn't he…?"_ Deku's thoughts would echo out, clashing against the fibers of his mindscape as the rush of thoughts made him jitter as he walked along on his way home almost on autopilot by now " _I'm quirkless...I'm never gonna get anywhere just by writing notes down...if this is really my dream I should be doing more...I should be working harder…"_

The green haired nerd would throw his head back and lay his eyes on the sheath of blue that was dotted with the milky white of the fluffy clouds above as his lungs expelled out a heavy, long sigh " _Ugh...I'm pathetic…"_

And there he was, finding himself stuck to the ball and chain that kept him grounded in the surface level of his melancholy. It wasn't his fault, not entirely, no one can just jump at it and get going, despite what all the motivational quotes say, but still, for someone like Midorya, it was difficult not to blame himself.

And with how stuck he had become, trekking knee deep in the thick slosh of his lack of confidence, he failed to notice that his feet were perhaps taking him to a place he'd rather not be.

It was an alternate route he had taken half-consciously. It took a little bit longer than his usual way through the city, this one went more around through the outskirts, it passed by the quieter parts of the concrete jungle, he felt like he needed it, just a little more time, a few more steps on his way home to rearrange his mind, to stop being a jittering mess.

He just failed to notice how quiet it had all become, how emptier than usual it was and the general creepy vibe of the place. Right now he was a young high schooler walking alone and no one was around.

A perfect stomping ground for the evil doers scurrying in the dark...so it wasn't too surprising when Izuku was stopped on his tracks as he noticed a shadow towering over his small frame before his eyes fell down to gaze at the...thing blocking his path.

It was a tall man, covered in head to toe in a thick layer of sharp looking scales over his skin, dressed in rough and rugged looking black pants with an open vest exposing his chest and a wicked smile on his face "Kid, aren't you too wimpy to be walking all alone in these parts?" he'd ask with a raspy, hissed voice as he stared the boy down.

"U-Uhh...o-oh..s-s-sorry sir, I uhh...I-I'll be on my way…" Izuku would immediately say out of reflex as he turned around, just trying to escape from the situation before freezing right up again as his ears were grazed by another set of raspy words.

"Oi, that ain't how it works, brat." the man's voice echoed as he cracked his knuckles, his boots thumping heavily against the ground as they took him closer to the young highschooler "Now, let's make this quick, I have the cops hot on my tail already so I'm suffering from a severe lack of patience! Give me all you have or join the club of assholes who got their bones broken!"

" _Great, just what I needed…"_ Izuku would think as he stared at the massive man in front of him. He had to actually fight through the freezing sensation that rendered him immobile to slowly take the backpack off his back with a dry gulp.

" _Just surrendering as soon as things start looking bad, what a great hero you are, Deku…"_ the boy would chastise himself in his own mind even adopting the offensive nickname Katsuki had assigned for him.

* * *

 **Somewhere not too far off…**

"Can't believe they had a promotion on the eggs today, how crazy are they?" Toshinori Yagi would say to himself with a faint smile on his skeletal face as he carried a couple of grocery bags in each of his hands. He really needed some extra protein with his dwindling strength, so he got himself a big carton of eggs as soon as he spotted them that cheap.

Being the symbol of peace wasn't an easy job, in fact, it was surprising he found himself the time to stop and buy groceries, but even if he didn't like it, his time limit forced him to take some time off now.

The least he could do was try to stop chastising himself over his lack of strength and just try to enjoy whatever little things he could.

The cheap eggs.

The nice song he heard in the store.

And hey, why not take the long way around town and go for a nice walk while he was at it? Just good ol' relaxed and off-duty All Might, enjoying a nice stroll and not patrolling the streets or anything, not at all…

* * *

"T-This is a-all I have...I s-swear…" the green haired boy would gulp nervously again as he watched the gruff criminal carelessly rummage through his backpack.

"Hmph...only a few bucks...not even some dirty mags or some cigarettes." he would say with a grumble "You really are a nerd aren't you, kid?"

Midorya's eyes clenched shut as the man chastised him, taking a slow and jittery step back from the powerful visage of the older, much larger man "S-Sorry sir...can...c-can I go now…?"

"Eh, fuck it, as much as I'd like to give that punchable face of yours what it's asking for, I don't think I have th-Oof!" the criminal would suddenly say as he slumped forwards ever so slightly as something banged against the back of his head.

As the criminal turned around, Izuku stepped much further back, ready to turn and run for it, this was his opportunity! As the villain became distracted Midorya was ready to kick into high gear and make a sprint but as curiosity got the best of him and he kept his eyes in place for a few seconds too long to see just what had happened to peel the criminal's attention away, both of his sockets would widen as he slammed his foot down to hit the brakes.

Behind the man, standing a few meters down along the sidewalk was a girl, she looked about his age, with short brown hair, with a pair of tufts that reached down a bit longer than the rest.

"G-Get away from him!" she would yell, trying to sound stronger and more confident than she actually was as she used her anti-gravity powers to launch another rock at the man, though this time it would only bump uselessly against his shoulder, earning nothing but a growl from the evildoer.

"What is this? Brat season?!" the scaled brute would grumble as he began stomping his way towards the girl, seeming to ignore the rocks being thrown at him as little more than a nuisance not bigger than a fly buzzing past his face "Come here kid, I'll teach you how to respect your elders!"

Izuku should have ran.

He was just a quirkless nobody, there was nothing he could do against someone that much bigger than him, but truth be told, he couldn't control himself.

As soon as his sight met with the girl's increasingly desperate expression he just...he just went.

Fully on autopilot, he dashed towards the man, the girl needed help, that's all he knew and it was all he needed to know, she needed help. He wasn't thinking, trying to do something about it was him following his rawest instincts.

The hulk would stumble across his march towards the girl as he tripped and fell down to one knee, looking behind him to see his foot stuck inside the strap of Izuku's bag "Kid, you again?! That's it, I'm done being nice with you!" the criminal would growl, switching targets as he thrust his leg back and kicked Midorya straight in the middle of his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs as he flew back a few meters to slam against the grates of a metallic fence.

The girl would look on in horror as she watched the boy she was trying to protect get in the way of her assailer, her eyes tearing up as she saw him turn to look at her with...a smile. A pained and trembling smile as he weakly spoke out to her "Run."

She ran. Fear getting the best of her as she just wanted to get away from there, even if every step was met with the weight of shame from abandoning him in that situation.

He saved her, she was getting away, that brought a true smile to Izuku's face this time, not just a fake forced one, but one that brought with it a real happiness that he was able to at least save someone before...well, he didn't feel like whatever was about to happen would be too pleasant.

"Hey brat, what's with the smile?" the grunt would ask with a sneer on his face as he looked down at Deku, spitting on the ground beside him with a low toned growl "You looked punchable before, but now? I just wanna wipe that dumb look off your face!" he would say as he raised a fist in the air

Instinctively, Midorya would close his eyes, clenching them shut as if that would help with anything...only the punch never came, the pain never was felt.

In his confusion, he would open one eye after another, carefully and slowly before they would both widen in an instant to see the man's fist held tightly in a tan skinned palm. He felt like his eyes were as wide as they could get, but somehow they became even larger once he traced the arm up to its source.

" **Attacking a child? Truly only the evilest of scum would do such a thing!"**

The criminal's composure would immediately shift from one who was on top of the situation to frightened and shocked as he also traced the owner of that hand, eventually bringing his eyes to be locked in the determined blue colored gaze of the legendary All Might, dressed in casual off-duty clothing made from a simple T-shirt and cargo pants. "S-Shit…!"

The blond hero would clench the evildoer's fist tightly, bending it upwards slowly and forcefully, soon having the criminal squirming in his grasp as he turned his head to look at the little green haired teen that still rested on the hard floor of the sidewalk with a reassuring smile on his face " **You are safe now, boy...because I am here!"**

Izuku's heart skipped a beat...it was him, right there. Just a mere few steps away from him and his smile looked even brighter up close! He had so many things to say, so much to ask, but of course, the first thing in his mind would be…

"A-All Might, watch out!"

The villain had clenched his fist tightly, an array of spiky claw-like scales protruding out from in between his knuckles as he cocked his arm back "I'm not going back to jail!" he'd growl before bringing his fist forth in a desperate wail, only to see his target disappear before his sight as if it was never there at all.

The Symbol of Peace didn't earn his title with strength alone, he had the speed to make him into a genuine article. He ducked under the blow, having it merely graze against his pair of antenna-like tufts of golden hair as he cocked his own arm back " **Let me teach you how it's done...CONNECTICUT…"** he would boldly announce before thrusting his arm upwards in a powerful uppercut that met with the scaled evildoer's stomach " **...SMASH!"**

The villain would soon find himself above the buildings, being rocketed upwards with a blast of heavy air pressure before gravity did its thing and brought him tumbling down with a heavy crash against what would ironically be a police car, the baddie having blank and eyes that fit his currently unconscious state.

" **O-Oops, I may have overdone it a little, hehe…"** All Might would sheepishly scratch the back of his head for a few seconds before turning his gaze towards the young one that had to watch all of this as he extended a hand down towards him with his usual smile " **Tell me, young one, are you hurt?"**

Izuku had to hold his breath as he accepted the hand, squeezing it way too tight in his grasp and shaking it profusely as he bowed repeatedly before his idol "N-No! It was just a s-scratch! I'm fine sir All Might, sir!" He would breathe heavily, almost hyperventilating as he quickly fetched his bag from the ground and began digging through it in a rush for his notebook "J-Just...could you please, uhh...oh." his rush of thoughts would soon be abruptly seized as his hero gave him back his hero notebook, open on the page he had signed for the boy, almost as if he had read his mind.

" **Now if that will be all, boy, I should probably explain what happened to our helpful officers over there."** All Might would say after giving Izuku a thumbs up as he turned his back to the boy, ready to get on with his day and make the most out of his daily time limit.

"W-Wait…! A-All Might!" Midorya would shout, suddenly springing from his step to latch onto the hero's arm once again, which would, in turn, bring his decisive blue eyes back down towards him "I-I...umm...I had s-something I wanted to ask you!" he would blabber nearly incoherently.

" **Listen, kid…"** All Might would say with a sigh, already having his time limit prodding at his mind as he looked down at the boy. He didn't despise interaction with his admirers, but with his current situation, that was just something he couldn't place atop his priority list " **I know you're a fan and all but, I have to get this villain sorted out and get on with my work so...just, try to make it quick, alright?"**

"R-Right…"

That was it, wasn't it? His chance? He could ask his idol, the best of the best the golden question that never ceased to dominate his mind: Can he become a hero?

Then...why did the question not come out? What was he waiting for?

" _Still saying that nonsense about being a hero and All Might...what gives you the right?!"_

Katsuki's words echoed in his head again. That was right, what gave him the right to even wonder that?

" _You think writing down those stupid books all day is gonna change anything?! You act like a way to be a hero is just gonna drop from the sky! Get real, Deku!"_

Maybe he had to get real, maybe he had to accept he couldn't become a hero, not like this...

" _Go try to sell those stupid books to kids since writing those is all you're willing to do!"_

Not if that was all he was willing to do.

Midorya had to face it, he wasn't born like the others, but daydreaming and finding reasons to bring himself down wouldn't fix it...and honestly, neither would an inspirational quote from All Might. The way to becoming a hero wouldn't just drop from the sky like that, he had to earn it.

"How...how did you get so strong?"

" **...Eh?"** All Might would stammer as he raised a curious brow at the boy that looked up at him.

"I-I mean...I know you have a strong quirk and all...but you're in top shape too, so you clearly know what you're doing." Midorya would explain as he shyly brought his gaze down to his own hands as he began to play with his own fingers as he let out a sigh "I-I...I was born without a quirk...I know that means I probably won't get to be a hero, b-but I still wanted to help people...r-right now I'm weak...and I know a quirk isn't just gonna fall from the sky, but...I want to at least get strong the regular way."

The blond was puzzled in a way, his interest had been peaked...quirkless huh? Didn't this kid stand up to that brute just to protect that girl back there? And now he wants to work to better himself…

" **Well...most of it is diet…"** All Might would let out a sigh as he crouched down to be eye to eye with the shorter boy, chuckling softly as he noticed him immediately begin taking notes at whatever he said " **Exercise is important too, but I'd say the biggest part is diet. Loads of lean protein and cut the carbs, you should research it better when you have time...for exercise...well, you should start small. Do you live nearby?"**

"O-Oh, uh, y-yes sir." Izuku would answer with a soft gulp

" **Then you can make it to the park nearby. Tomorrow isn't a school day, a good place to start, the earlier the better."** The hero would say as he poked the boy on the shoulder " **Tomorrow at five AM, ten laps around the park. You can manage that, can't you?"**

"I…" Midorya would freeze for a moment. He wasn't too big on exercising and outdoor activities and all of that but...he wanted to change, didn't he? "I can manage it!"

" **Good...now I really have to get going, though, so I'll be seeing you, kid."** The blond would say as he rose back into a standing position, leaving an elated teen mumbling to himself " **And, boy…"**

Izuku's mumbling would cease immediately as he looked up at her idol with a sheepish smile "Y-Yes, sir?"

" **What's your name?"**

"I-Izuku Midorya, sir!" Deku would introduce himself with a teared up smile

" **It was nice meeting you, young Midorya."** All might would say his goodbyes as he turned on his heel and began walking towards the pair of police officers currently rattling about the villain that had just sent their vehicle out of commission " _ **And you better show up, kid."**_


	2. Chapter 2 - The Struggle

**I was bored waiting for a flight, so I wrote a little more than usual. Next updates will probably not come out as fast.**

 **Anyways, thanks for everyone that has been leaving reviews reading the story, glad you're all enjoying my stuff.**

 **Here's more stuff thing.**

* * *

 **5 am, at the local park**

Izuku still had a long way to go, but this was a good start...at least he hoped so.

He already had to deal with the awkwardness of having to explain to his mother why he hadn't eaten as much rice as usual and why he wanted to eat this particular cut of fish and had become so interested in chicken breast all of the sudden. He didn't blame her, he had gone from a total nerd to complete health nut in the snap of a finger due to his rush of motivation after the talk with All Might.

But for the moment, he'd have to leave his research on proper dieting for later, right now he was facing a much bigger monster.

Running.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that big for most people, but for someone like him, a rather wimpy dork that spent most of his free time alone at home doing hero research and studying, he didn't have the greatest athletic pre-disposition.

And he did not realize just how big this park was.

And he had to run around it ten times.

Izuku would scream if he wasn't so shy about it.

* * *

Toshinori was still a bit baffled at his own choice to come in during his free time just to check on this kid he had only met for a few minutes the previous day.

I mean, he didn't have to go too out of his way, he has always been an early riser and he always left home early to get coffee from a local shop he enjoyed, so all it was would be taking a small detour to this neat little park.

And so there he was, sitting on a bench by the outskirts, cutting himself some slack and remaining in his skeletal, weaker form as he grasped a portable cut of warm coffee in one hand while looking at his watch with the other.

"5:10...I mean, I don't really think the kid would arrive on time anyways...he's probably gonna be late, first time I did it I know I was." he'd chuckle to himself, appreciating the hot bitterness of his beverage as he reached for a sip right before letting off a steamy sigh "I have some time to wait, anyways…"

" _What am I doing here? It's just some high school kid, he's probably gonna give up on this after a week, most of them do."_ The weakened symbol of peace would run a bony hand through his hair with a soft and quiet groan as he let his pessimism get a hold of his thought process for a moment " _What am I even hoping for…? He's quirkless to top it off, I'm sure in a few months, maybe a year he'll get over the hero thing, maybe get a normal job or settle for becoming a doctor or police officer...I shouldn't think of pulling him into this mess…"_

His thoughts, along with his next sip would, however, be interrupted as he looked down the park's outlining pathway to see a familiar smudge of green hair dressed in a simple black tracksuit that looked rather old in a way like it hadn't been worn too many times since it was purchased.

"Young Midorya…" Toshinori would say quietly to himself, watching as the teen quickly huffed past him with a polite wave, but other than that, not much of a second glance directed towards him " _Of course, he doesn't recognize me in this form...hm, perhaps it's for the best. Let's see how he does without All Might there to motivate him."_

The deflated no. 1 hero settled into his seat, trying his best to look casual and inconspicuous as he watched the boy periodically pass by him.

One time...two times…..three times….four…..five…

" _He's slowing down with each lap...that's expected, I doubt he has a lot of stamina…"_ The symbol of peace would think to himself as he watched Deku slowly huff past him for the sixth time over. His stance was slumped, he was sweating like a pig and his facial expression was one of pure agony, but he was still going

"Come on, kid...just a few more…"

* * *

Izuku was in hell.

Who would have thought that this would be so hard? It's just going around a damn park! Children did it, dogs did it! He came here certain that with some minor effort he too could do it, but after the third lap, his outlook changed.

Right now everything hurt, every muscle in his body felt like it was burning under his skin, screaming at him to stop. He was struggling to breathe, huffing heavily with each step like the air was water and he had just gone days in the desert without any.

" _Oh god, skipping on gym class wasn't a good idea!"_ He would think, clenching his eyes shut for a moment before quickly springing them open to realign himself before he tripped "I...I can't do this...seven laps is fine right...?"

It wasn't fine, he couldn't even convince himself of that. All Might, his hero, had told him ten laps was something he could manage...and he agreed. It was either ten laps or he might as well not have gotten up this early in the morning!

It was a shame to feel this way, but every lap felt like less of an accomplishment for the boy and more of an " _Alright, now I'm this much closer to finishing…"_ Which was a bit of an accomplishment in it of itself at the end of the day, depending on how you thought about it.

"E-Eight…" he would breathe out, struggling to keep count as exhaustion kept his brain foggy and a faint light-headed sensation constantly affecting his functioning. But still, he would press on. This was nothing compared to what the real heroes had to face every day of their lives, what right did he have to aspire to stand amongst them if this was enough to make him give in?

It wasn't a glorious battle, it wasn't something that would be on the news and would have people looking at him in wonder. It was just a nerdy kid struggling to do basic cardio exercise, but it was his battle and he was determined to see the end of it!

"Nine…" Toshinori would say quietly as he watched Izuku pass by once more, gripping his empty cup of coffee tightly, just short of crushing it in his slim palm in the intensity of his grip.

Why was he so interested in this boy? Why was watching him push himself to become better, even if with something as simple as a morning jog, making his heart beat this way?

" _Even if my punches can bring entire buildings down now...I still remember how tough a run around the park was when I started…"_ He would let his thoughts drift as he brought his eyes expectantly to the horizon, his fingers tapping his own thigh impatiently as he waited to see another green smudge make the curve down the walkway " _Come on, young Midorya...just one more...push through the pain…"_

The thin, weakened face of the man, previously shrouded in an expression of curiosity and worry would soon curl into a smile as he watched the visage of the young teenager creep around the corner as he entered the final straight line for his final lap.

Toshinori wouldn't help but chuckle. God, he looked like every part of him wanted to die, it was nostalgic, in a way, as he reminded his own struggle back in the day. Izuku's tracksuit was completely soaked in many large wet smudges of sweat, his stance was slumped with exhaustion and his eyes were drooped and tired, but what the hidden All Might found the most wonderful was the struggled, awkward smile on his face he refused to let fall.

He was such an All Might fanboy.

"That's it, just a few more steps...yes...yes…" the slim blond would unconsciously inch himself to the edge of his seat as he watched the boy close in.

"J-Just...hah...a little more….fuh...yes….yes…" Midorya would huff in exhaustion as he saw the bench he used as his mental finish line approaching, after all the pain, all the fighting, he was gonna do it.

" **YES!"**

Midorya wasn't sure if he fell down face first into the ground due to how tired he was after finishing his last lap or due to the loud, booming voice that had suddenly sprung to life behind him startling him out of his senses, but either way, he had to admit...the floor was pretty damn comfy right now.

With a weakened sigh the boy would turn his head to the voice's source, only to have his tired sockets widen as he suddenly forgot that he was tired and sprung back onto his feet with a gasp of disbelief "A-All Might?!"

Toshinori would look down at his now muscle filled body and notice how tighter his clothing would fit around him as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face " _ **Shit, I got too excited…"**_ he would mutter under his breath before awkwardly raising his hand to wave at the teen " **Hello there, young Midorya! I'm glad to see you're following my advice!"**

"H-How long have you b-been there?" he would stutter as he attempted to steady his stance before suddenly the adrenaline rush of seeing his idol standing there would leave and his legs became jelly, his strength leaving his body as he toppled straight to the ground again.

Or at least he would have if he didn't land in the welcoming arms of the Symbol of Peace, who had dashed out of his seat in the blink of an eye, kicking up a cloud of dust on his wake, to catch the boy's fall and almost comically, the thunk of his empty coffee cup falling into the nearby trash can would be heard. Because a true hero doesn't litter.

" **I've been here long enough, young Midorya."** He would say reassuringly as he held the boy gently in his arms, giving him a few soft smacks on the cheek to keep him from passing out " **Long enough to be very proud of you."**

"Hehe...r-really? A-All I did was….r-run around the park…" Izuku would say as he slowly caught his breath, holding onto his hero as he was helped towards the bench, where he could finally, and comfortably, slump down and ease his strain.

" **It doesn't matter how little the struggle may seem from the outside, but how great it feels from the inside, young Midorya."** All might would smile as he held out for the boy a bottle, filled with cold water and glistening with droplets along its clear surface " **You've taken the hardest step, the first one, now that you have gotten started we can move on to different methods."**

Deku had barely even let the words sink as he snatched the bottle, unscrewing the cap quickly and gulping down its contents greedily as he appreciated the sensation of the cool liquid revitalizing his dried, overheated windpipe until finally he would peel the bottle's mouth away from his lips with a sigh and a blush reddening his cheeks

"W-We…?"

All Might would laugh a hearty cackle as he looked down at the green haired teen with a smile even brighter than his usual one, flashing him a decisive thumbs up " **I'll help you!"**

Now that made Midorya choke on the next set of gulps, the water coming right back up and out of his nose as he coughed uncomfortably, which would have the larger blond exasperatedly assaulting his back with small little successive slaps.

"H-Help me…? Y-You?" Izuku would repeat in disbelief as if he had to confirm he didn't hear it wrong and wasn't having exhaustion-induced hallucinations "B-But...I don't want to get in the way of your hero work...I know you're probably really busy so...i-it's fine, really…"

" **Izuku, listen to me…"** Toshinori would call out, gaining the teen's instant attention by the use of his first name " **When I look at you, I see someone who will do a lot of great things, because I know you have it in you to work as hard as you need to get there. There are twenty-four hours in a day, I can spare a few for the pleasure of seeing you shine, young man."**

Izuku gulped as he his hand squeezed the wood of the bench he was sat on, the rough texture of the old oak grazing his skin as he felt a certain tightness inside his heart and the tears swelling behind his eyes.

" **I believe in you, Izuku Midorya."**

And then he let loose, two thick strands flowing warmly down his cheeks as a sob he didn't realize he was holding back escaped his lips as he brought his hands to his face, trying to hide it from view at the same tie as he tried to soak the tears into the cloth of his tracksuit.

That was it, wasn't it?

All he ever wanted to hear, coming from the person he most wanted to say it.

All Might, the number one hero, his inspiration...believed in him.

His sobbing became louder as he seemed to forget completely to continue trying to hide it, his shyness melting as he began crying freely as he finally let all of his frustration, all of his retained anger, all of the bitterness he felt from his unjust situation out with a sobbed scream that was expunged from his lungs, cleansing him.

At that moment, he didn't have to tell himself that being a hero was possible, he didn't have to force the idea to stand in his head. At that moment, it simply felt possible.

He was ready to give up the day before, but now he was coming back...and as he wiped the tears from his face and drowned out the last sniffles, he decided that his determination would be even stronger.

" **There, there, young Midorya."** All Might would say as he gave the green haired teen a fatherly pat on the back before letting out a soft sigh " **You've earned yourself some rest today, but tomorrow I want you to meet me here at the same time so we can get started!"** he would say with another characteristic thumbs up and a determined grin " **And don't stay awake too late, I won't go easy on you!"**

In any other circumstance, Midorya would probably shiver at the thought of going out that early to train again after the suffering he endured today, but right now his endorphins were on an all-time high and he was feeling motivated.

"R-Right! I won't be late!" he would say with a smile drenched in resolve as he stood up from the bench, stretching his limbs out a little before waving his hero goodbye and making a jog towards his home, almost as if he hadn't just been dead tired from the last one just a moment ago.

Toshinori would wait at his spot on the bench until Izuku had disappeared over the horizon before letting off a steamy sigh as he deflated back to his weaker, slim shape with a puff of smoke.

He would bring a hand to his blond locks and straighten his hair out as he slumped back into the bench with a yawn, bringing his head so his eyes would meet the blue sky above.

"He's the one, isn't he? He has what it takes." he would say, smiling to himself before caressing his temples with a groan "Why did he have to be such a fanboy, though...telling him the truth is gonna be so awkward now…"

* * *

Katsuki Bakugo was having a regular day in his life. You know, being the best at like, everything that mattered.

He was just leaving through the automatic doors of the local market, a pair of bags held in his left hand, his spoils from his trip to the store in search of eggs and milk. Because when mom tells you to do something, not even Mr explosion lord says no.

With his chores taken care of, he would keep the constant scowl that never seemed to leave his face as he went down his usual way back home, only to stop in the middle of the way at a nearby vending machine.

Checking his pockets to confirm he had enough for a drink the teen would eye his options with interest before aggressively shoveling a few coins down the machine's designated coin hole and smacking the button for a 'Power Hour' energy drink, which would soon thump down to the delivery spot.

Katsuki would smirk softly as he reached down and managed to crack the can open single-handed, hearing the satisfying hiss of the beverage as he brought it to his lips for a nice, long gulp.

Said gulp, however, would be sadly interrupted as Katsuki choked, spitting out some of his drink as he dashed, can in hand to lean over the fence that surrounded the little marketplace "What the hell...!"

There he was, that little green haired wimp jogging back home to his apartment building in sweat-drenched clothes!

" _Since when does Deku exercise?! All the time I've known him he's been a nerd!"_ The boy would growl in anger, giving the can in his hand a few dents as it cracked in his intensive grip.

With a roll of his eyes, the boy would huff under his breath as he went bottoms up and chugged the drink down with large gulps, some of it dripping loosely down his chin before he cracked his empty can with a snarl and tossed it off to the side.

"Whatever, so what? The useless dork decided to and actually not look like he's a scrawny little ten-year-old." Katsuki would grumble to himself as he began to walk away, though his gaze was permanently fixated in the green-haired runner slowly making his way down the street "Look at him, he's pathetic. I bet all he did was jog a little and it almost killed him...whatever…"

Bakugo would do his best to get that little pest of a Deku out of his mind. It was fine, this was fine, everything was fine. All it happened is that he got a little surprised that Deku turned out to be...not as completely useless as he expected! Doesn't mean he's ever going to catch up to him...nope!

But, with that said, Katsuki made himself a mental reminder to do some changes on his usual workout regime to make it a bit thougher...not because he was worried about Deku of all people, pfffft, the wimp just...reminded him that it had been a while since he messed with it, yeah.

After all, it wasn't like he was gonna see him much after the UA exam, after all, there was no way Deku would ever show up to that! That made the blond smile a little.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Means

**Hey guys, here's another update. You might notice that things are moving a bit slow at first, that's just because I suck at starting stuff, so I usually take a little while to get going.**

 **Still, if you feel like it's worth sticking around for more, thank you so much for reading, for all the favorites and especially the reviews, you don't know how motivating it is to have people telling you what they think. Don't be afraid to say you don't like some stuff either, improving comes from doing stuff wrong first.**

 **Dab on, cunts**

* * *

"Umm...portion control?" Inko would have said with a slightly worried expression plastered across her face as she rubbed her hands together a little awkwardly "I'm glad you're starting to eat more healthy, Izuku, but...these therms sound a little...scary…" he'd say with an embarrassed blush.

The young Midorya had to admit, it did sound a bit scary and complicated at first too and it took him some time to get used to it. The food wasn't too different from what he was used to, but knowing what to pick and how much was a little difficult. He was glad he dug below the surface level research, as he always did, or else he would have been stuck in a world made out of chicken breast and sweet potato.

"I-It's fine mom...really! It's just how it works." he'd say with a shrug of his shoulders as he stuffed another piece of chicken into his mouth. God, he was so lucky his mom was a great cook or else this would have been harder.

"B-But you're not even...you know…" the worried mother would make a grabbing motion at her own belly, her facial features curling into a disgruntled and annoyed expression at the bit of plumpness she gained and was always worried about making disappear, like every lady her age tended to be "A-Aren't you going to get too thin?"

That would have the green haired boy scratching the back of his head a bit awkwardly as he looked down at himself for a moment "I don't...think so. From what I read it's more about body fat percentage. I think I can lose a lot more from the looks of it." he would try his best to explain, but for some reason talking about this with his mother was very much one of the most awkward experiences he's had. "B-But, no need to worry about it! I won't get scrawny or anything. If nothing it'll just let my muscles show through!"

"Your muscles…?" the older Midorya woman would raise a brow for a moment before slowly covering her mouth with an inaudible gasp "O-Oh...are you worried about looking good so...girls notice you?"

Izuku froze, his cheeks puffed as he stopped mid chew as his face would suddenly flare red with embarrassment before slowly gulping the food in his mouth down "N-No! N-Not like t-that...I mean...M-Moooooooooooom!"

"Y-You're growing up so fast!" she would plead with teary eyes as her son began freaking the absolute crap out at the dinner table.

* * *

After a very awkward meal at his home and a well earned night of sleep, Izuku was already back at it. Five AM, at the park as scheduled and already finished his seventh lap as he waited for All Might to show up to meet him...if he even showed up. Truth be told, young Deku was still trying to figure out if that part had really happened or if he had just hallucinated it all from how tired he was.

Thankfully today was just a little bit easier, not enough for him to try and do more than ten, he didn't want to die, but he might not be trashed at the end of the final lap this time and he'd remembered to bring his own water bottle! Keeping hydrated really made a world of difference for the teen.

Of course, in his exercise induced trance-like state, Izuku would have jumped back on his spot and fell right onto his butt as from around the corner a towering visage of toned muscle dressed in workout clothing and carrying two cups of coffee slid into view with a bright, proud smile.

" **Good morning, young Midorya!"** All Might would announce before his expression shifted into one of slight embarrassment as he saw the state of the boy on the floor " _ **Me and my dramatic entrances…"**_

"A-All Might...you really came!" Deku would immediately smile as he scampered back up to his feet, batting the dirt and dust from his pants.

" **Of course! A true hero never goes back on his word!"** the blond would say with his usual beaming smile as he extended a hand with a cup held in it towards the teen " **I don't know if you drink coffee, but I brought you one anyway!"**

"O-Oh...t-thanks…" Midorya would gulp as he took the cup in hand and took a sip from it, flinching slightly at the bitter flavor he wasn't too used to. Truth be told, Deku had never tried much coffee before, he had just never bothered with it, but this was coffee All Might had brought for him. He would consume it. "I-It's...uhh..tasty."

" **Hehe, no need to lie, young Midorya, but it'll give you some energy."** the number one hero would say as he patted the boy on the shoulder as he took a sip of his own cup, finalizing it with a steamy sigh " **Let's cut your morning run a bit short today, I have some things to show you."**

"A-Alright...is it about my training?" Izuku would ask shily as he slowly and shily sipped on his coffee, his tongue becoming used to the flavor bit by bit, at least enough to not make him flinch every time he drank it as he began to feel that buzz of energy slowly build inside him as the caffeine did its magic in his system

" **Indeed!"** All Might would proudly announce as he motioned for the kid to follow him as he took off walking to one side of the park, greeting some people and fans along the way as per usual, as he headed towards the crosswalk with his trainee " **I have everything ready! After this you'll be in top shape in no time!"**

"R-Right!" Izuku would attempt to reply with the same conviction as before as he followed the symbol of peace along, feeling a little out of place being seen with him and having to stop every few steps so that All Might could greet someone, snap a picture or sign an autograph, but that wasn't his fault, just a side effect from being the Symbol of Peace.

Eventually, though, he would notice his hero's pathing become a tad peculiar as he dodged out of public view after looking to both sides to make sure he wasn't seen, ducking into an alleyway that smelled of wet cement and the bad scent of the trash that filled up the bins by the wall. The walls were covered in discolored paint and graffiti, making the whole place look shady and uncomfortable for the pure cinnamon toast that was the young Midorya.

"U-Uhh...A-All Might…?" he'd ask with embarrassment as he shrunk down into himself as he followed his idol "W-Where are we?"

" **Don't look so worried, young Midorya."** The number one hero would say as he waved the teen off with a chuckle as he finally reached his objective. A red and blue colored, metallic door that was surprisingly well kept, like it had just received a new coat of paint. " **I'm sure you'll understand, even someone like me needs some privacy and well...when you have a reputation, you need to go a little out of your way to get it."** he would explain as he pulled a keychain from his pocket, Deku noticing that it was one of All Might's own merchandise, a golden metal plate in the shape of the words 'I am here!' with a few stars around them. The blond would flick through the few keys he had in the pack before finding the right one to unlock the door with a metallic click as it would open with a smooth creakless sound. Yeah, it was definitely a well kept door.

And as Deku slowly and shyly followed his idol in, his worried and embarrassed expression would shift into one of surprise and curiosity. Walking through that door was like stepping into an entirely new world as the alley would shift into a neat entryway made of polished wood, a place for him to leave his shoes and his coat as was the usual in Japan before he walked through another set of doors.

That was the real shocker. He saw what was once a rundown alleyway shift into a clean and brightly lit gym with equipments of the highest grade and of all kinds. The floor was half wood and half soft and rubbery surface, it had its own air conditioning system that seemed to bring with it a soft, but pleasant lime scent to the whole area and at the opposite wall Midorya could see a massive mirror that covered its entirety, letting him see how puny he looked in comparison to All Might, but also, all of the pictures and posters that riddled the place. Curiously, Deku could only see a few japanese athletes in them, most of them were american...but then again, this place belonged to a man who named all of his moves after american states, so it made sense the more he thought about it.

"W-Wow...what is this place?" Izuku would gulp as he stepped in, his eyes darting from side to side as he took in the ambient with wonder in his retina.

" **Why, my personal gym, of course!"** The hero would say as he flexed his muscles with a hearty laugh

"P-Personal gym?" Midorya would ask as he tried to contain his famboyism over being invited into All Might's second home "Why here? In a dirty, dark alley, I mean…"

" **I can't build these muscles if I have to stop to give autographs or take pictures every five minutes!"** The blond would explain as he crossed his arms " **I love my fans, but sometimes, even I need some me time! And the best way to do that is to that is to...well...hide!"** He'd say with a sweatdrop and a bit of an awkward shrug

"R-Right…!" Midorya would nod. "B-But, uhh...are you sure it's okay for me to..b-be here?"

" **Of course, young man! I said I had something to show you, didn't I?"** The hero would ask as he gave the kid a thumbs up " **This is only part of it. Come with me!"** he would motion for the green haired nerd to follow him as he gestured towards a door off to the side that seemed to lead into some sort of living area

And follow he would, past the doorway and into a rather small room. The place was a little cramped, just about enough space to have some comfort on the small and beat up couch that rested right beside the mini fridge. Deku could see even more posters inside along with shelves filled to the brim with video tapes and DVD cases, along with a decently sized television across the room. Izuku figured this is where the number one hero came to catch his breath after a round of training.

"H-Hey...what are all these tapes? Some sort of files on the villains you have faced before?" Midorya would ask as his mind raced on its own, creating a whole new situation without the need for clarification.

" **Oh those? Those are boxing tapes!"** All Might would say with a smile that looked slightly...embarrassed? " **I guess I used to be a bit of a fanboy too, back in the day! Hehe…but, why don't you help yourself to a drink while I find what I was looking for!"**

"S-Sure…" Izuku would stammer as he leaned down to be face to face with the mini fridge, pulling the doorway open to be greeted with a pleasant puff of cold, refrigerated air. " _Alright, I guess a soda would be good to calm my...oh…"_

No soda, just a few bottles of water and a few cups full of protein drinks. All Might didn't mess around. Izuku couldn't afford to mess around anymore either, so he took one of the protein drinks with a sigh and took a sip. It was nice and sweet, just had a strange flavor to it he'd have to get used to.

" **There we go!"** He would hear the blond announce as he pulled a particular video tape out of the shelf with a beaming smile after blowing some dust off of it " **Say, young Midorya, ever wonder why all my attacks are named after the United States?"**

Izuku didn't need to think twice, his knowledge of heroes, All Might above all, sprung forth nearly immediately "Because you were inspired by the culture and their sense of patriotism! You said so in your interview with Dato News back in 2009!" the green haired boy would blab out, catching himself in his own fanboyism as he quickly shut himself up with a blush "O-Or...s-something like that…"

Toshinori would laugh at the instant response as he gave the teen a thumbs up " **You're right, I did great part of my training in America and I simply fell in love with the culture...but what I've never said in any interview is that what most inspired me."** All Might would lean closer to the young man as he showed him the cover of the tape he held onto. It was old and a little washed out, but Midorya could still clearly make out the picture of a dark skinned man dressed in proper boxing attire " **Boxing isn't just a sport. It's how you carry yourself, a philosophy and american boxing happens to be my absolute favorite!"**

Izuku could only watch as the older man paced towards the television, inserting the tape into the old cassette player and once turned on, fast forwarding through the footage in search for something in specific " **This one right here is really old, from a time when quirks weren't around yet."**

Izuku could see that, from the stocky, low resolution image to the phonic sound that came from the TV screen every time the hero would stop to check at which part he was on, before finally he seemed to reach what he wanted as he stood back from the screen.

It was the gentleman from the cover, by the looks of it giving an interview. From the questions being asked, Midorya could figure that it was about an upcoming fight.

It seemed normal, nothing special, the fighter's responses were brief...until he really got started.

"Am I worried about the fight? The only worry I have is to miss it." he would say before making a brief pause as he rose from his seat with evident conviction "I've been working hard, you know? Since the start of my career I haven't missed a day, but this fight? I've done something new! I'm pushing myself in ways no other man has ever done! Did you know I can wrestle a bear?"

Izuku would quirk an eyebrow at the strange statement, as did most of the audience by the looks of it before he continued "Yeah...I can wrestle a bear. I can crush stones with my thumbs! I'm telling ya, people, these hands can bend steel! And once I step into that ring you'll all see how powerful I am!"

He was lying. Izuku knew that. If it was something a boxer said today he would probably believe it, quirks had been integrated into sports a long time ago. But this was from back then, where everyone was quirkless...yet the conviction the fighter had when he said those words…

" **That's what it's about...the determination, the pride, the grit...what do you think? How do you feel about what he's saying?"** his idol would ask him, making the teen gulp in his spot as he noticed how hard his heart was pumping after listening to the performance

"I...I know he was just exaggerating for dramatic effect but...the way he said everything...I wouldn't be surprised if you showed me a video of him actually doing all those things."

" **But that man had no quirk. He was just a regular person like you…"** Toshinori would say with an unconsciously fatherly smile as he placed a hand onto Izuku's shoulder " **And he didn't need a quirk to be powerful...I feel that same grit in you, young Midorya. Some people are born with great quirks, but when the push comes to shove, they're truly powerless. It's only when you get into that mindset, when you find the power inside you, not your quirk, but your power…"** he would say, pointing towards the television screen to show the fighter from before and the sheer tenacity on his face " **Only then can you really become a great hero."**

Midorya felt the sob climb up his throat again, he felt his eyes become warmer, but clenching them both he would swallow his insecurities down to instead replace them with a determined smile as he looked up at All Might.

"Where do we start?"

" **Glad you asked!"**

Izuku's smile would immediately shift into an expression of surprise as he had a stack of paper pushed into his face. It had a few sheets staples together and a quick read let him know it to be some sort of training plan.

" **I had some time to spend, so I took the liberty of developing a meal and workout program for you!"** the blond would poke young Deku on the head with his usual smile " **It's not an easy one, I'll tell you right now, but if you're willing to put in the work, it'll get you results fast."**

"Y-You can count on me!" Izuku would declare with a smile. There was a voice inside him screaming at him, that he couldn't do it, that he was a quirkless, useless nobody...but he fought it back down to the crevice it had come from, not with weapons, not with violence, but with a smile. If Izuku could hold his smile, nothing could stop him.

" **Well then, I have a present for you!"** the symbol of peace would say with excitement in his voice as he pushed a box onto his new apprentice's lap. He had even taken the time to wrap it much like a gift and make the bow on top look like his characteristic pair of antenna-like hair.

"A-A p-p-present?" Deku would stutter more than usual as he held it in his hands...a present...from All Might...he was lucky he didn't faint right then and there, but with shaky grip he would slowly peel the wrapping of the package apart to see what was hiding inside.

Inside Izuku would find three items.

The first and most evident one were a pair of green colored boxing gloves, most likely chosen in that tone to match his hair. Izuku would smile as he tried one on, finding the fabric flexible and comfortable, though it made his hand a bit hot, though he was sure it was just a matter of getting used to it...he already felt a bit stronger just having them on, it was like magic.

The second item was a signed wristband, the same red and blue pattern that was synonymous to All Might, with the words 'I am here' written along their length. Izuku smiled at that. His hero's catchphrase was starting to take new meanings now. In a way it made the teen feel like his hero was always there with him when he wore it...and in another, it felt like a reminder to oneself, if they ever got lost. Izuku was here and he was here to fight for what he wanted.

And the third item was the most curious one. It was a small keychain with a single key in it. It would have the boy eyeing it up with interest as he slowly turned to his mentor, asking a wordless question.

" **Keys to this gym, of course! I can't be here to let you in all the time, so you should be able to come in on your own for your training!"** All Might would explain with a laugh as he patted the teen on the head, making him blush red in response

"B-But this is y-your personal spot!" the teen would stammer with embarrassment

" **I don't mind sharing it with one person, just don't go telling the media about it!"** the symbol of peace would say with a laugh as he stepped towards the door " **Now put those gloves on, young Midorya, let's see if you know how to use them!"**

Izuku would smile to himself as he slipped the gloves in each hand, tightening them down with his teeth and briefly knocking them against one another as he smiled.

"I'll do my best!"


	4. Chapter 4 - The Climb

**Hey madlads, big writer boy back at it again with this shitty story**

 **In all seriousness, I'm very thankful for all of the reviews and follows I'm getting, this is my first fanfic in a long time so my chapters could probably be longer and the pacing could be better, but I try to just focus on putting stuff out.**

 **Also, you guys don't need to feel like you don't know how to review or anything, if you take a second of your day to leave a comment, that already means the world to me.**

 **But yeah, sappy outro and all, make sure you hit the fattest, most succulent dab you can before you read this chapter.**

* * *

Izuku had, all things considered, underestimated how difficult All Might's training would be.

It was getting to the end of his first week in the new routine and juggling both school and his new exercise routine was...tiring,to say the least. He still remembered waking up aching all over from all of the strain he was putting into his body, though that was to be expected. A little bit of pain wouldn't stop him.

After a healthy breakfast composed of some eggs and fruit, to his mother's delight at his new eating habits, before slipping into his good and old looking tracksuit he'd be going out for his morning run. He had to go get himself some better workout clothes later.

But in more promising news, the old run around the park had become a lot easier for the teen now that he had been doing it for a few days, slowly but surely stacking the bricks of stamina into a higher and higher tower. He breathed better during it, he kept a better pace, he kept himself hydrated and more importantly, by the time he finished the tenth lap, he didn't have to collapse in exhaustion anymore, merely lean himself on his knees as he panted heavily like breathing itself was a struggle of its own...hey, it was progress!

"Haa...haaah...jeez, why does the sun have to be so hot today…?" Midorya would ask himself before cracking the lid of his bottle open as he brought it up to his lips, swinging the bottom up as he sipped on the refreshing liquid.

He was right, though, it was really hot today. The sun was already shining warmly down on the park with not even one cloud in sight to obstruct the deep blue color of the sky. Running in the heat was even more tiring and the worst part was that Izuku wasn't even done yet.

"Alright, what now…" the green haired teen would ask himself as he opened his phone to look at the to-do list he had saved inside it, he found it useful to have it there since carrying a notepad would be a little too bulky for the occasion. "Alright, Thursday...morning run to warm up...oh...rock climb…" he would read out loud with a shudder as he let off a long sigh. This was possibly his least favorite part of the training.

It was another one of All Might's inventive training methods, the man never seemed to be one to settle for the old weights and what not as it was, he always looked for more, for something else to make you think outside of the box and tax your body in a way it would never be used to.

And one of these ways was the rock climb.

You see, located near the park, just a few blocks away, was a forest trail. A popular spot people went to take walks in, commute with nature and maybe set up a picnic and what not. But located in the heart of the trail, after a small little natural pool of cool fresh water was a tall rocky wall...and Izuku had to climb it.

As it was, he had left a small green piece of cloth stuck to one of the cracks of the stone to mark his progress...he hadn't even managed to get halfway there yet. The deal was simple, try to climb as much as you can and if you fall, you'll land safely into the water, a foolproof exercise in theory that should both build his strength and stamina.

And it was hard, especially for young Midorya who couldn't even do a single pull up yet.

" _Alright...start from the left side and slowly head right…"_ the teen would think to himself as he eyed up the hard surface he would dare to challenge, gulping down his anxiety as he identified the route he liked to take when making the attempt, he had not tried to do it too much, but within a few tries he was already memorizing which parts of the wall were easy to latch onto.

With a deep sigh, he stepped forwards, taking off his jacket and his shoes so they didn't get in the way, or got wet for that matter as he reached a hand out, feeling around the surface for a proper grip before pulling himself up.

He had lost count of how many times he wished he wasn't so diligent and just skipped this part. All Might wasn't even here today, he was busy being a hero, no one would know...well, Midorya would know. And that was enough to be unacceptable. The young teen had already come to understand that there was no easy way and if he started skipping out on his exercises, it might just be a slippery slope that would lead into him skipping out on saving people.

He wouldn't allow it.

With a huff and a grunt, he pulled himself up, his fingers latching dutifully onto the crevice of the rock, the rough and unrelenting texture straining his fingertips as he slowly shuffled himself. He was sure most of the aching he was feeling was due to this, it had to be, there was no way something that was this much of a pain wouldn't leave him feeling it the next day.

The biggest hurt was focused in his hands, he had just started but he could already feel his soft and unspoiled palms that had been a stranger to heavy lifting before began to harden and gain calluses from all the strain, a battle scar of his road to becoming better and more prepared for what is ahead.

"Ugh...getting there...just a little more…"

He could see the piece of green cloth above him, dancing almost if teasingly in the wind, daring him as the teen slowly climbed his way up. Hey, he might actually beat his record today.

Or would, if his foot didn't slip on the next lunge upwards, making him lose balance as panic overtook him and he felt himself began to gain distance to the rock before him.

" _Oh no, this isn't a good spot…"_

You see, All Might had advised the teen to stick to the safer middle part of the of the rock wall as that would ensure he hit the center of the lake when he fell. More water to cushion his fall, more safety for him...but, Midorya, in his effort to devise the most efficient route up the thing, found that if he drifted to the right side, away from the water, there was actually better and easier places to grip on, which made the climb easier.

It was a risk, but he figured that the fact he was less likely to fall balanced against the fact falling would be more dangerous if that makes any sense. Of course, being less likely to fall, clearly did not mean he wouldn't fall and as Izuku looked behind him to see only shallow water and the grassy ground below, he knew he wasn't going to have an easy landing.

And, well, it wasn't an easy landing, just not in the way he had immediately envisioned. Before his body met with the ground the boy felt something warm and humid constrict around his torso, wrapping around him tightly like a rope before his momentum was completely shifted and instead of falling straight down, he rocketed over to the side with a scream.

A scream that would end unceremoniously as he thudded against the floor, though not hurting himself, thank goodness, only leaving him with a now dirty shirt and hair full of leaves and what not.

As he sat up, taking the time to ruffle mother nature out of his green jungle of a hair style he would crook his head to the side in dog-like fashion as he saw a strangely...amphibian looking girl staring at him as she licked her lips with her unnaturally long tongue.

"That was a pretty stupid thing to do." she would say bluntly. The girl looked cute in her own way with her greenish hair, dressed in a simple shirt and short workout shorts and a pair of black sneakers on her feet.

"U-Uhh...y-yeah…" Izuku would say a bit awkwardly as his face reddened with embarrassment, the teen scratching his nose to try and cover himself from the girl's gaze.

"I'm Tsuyu Asui." the girl would introduce herself in a somewhat deadpan tone after a short 'ribbit'.

"U-Umm...Izuku Midorya…" the boy would say as he awkwardly extended a hand out for the girl before soon retracting it with embarrassment when she didn't go for the handshake and merely stared at him more intently.

"Why were you trying to climb that thing?" she would ask after a few seconds of examining the boy as she leaned closer to him, which would make Midorya shuffle away shyly "Is it a boy thing to do stupid stuff to prove yourself?"

Deku's facial expression soured as the girl's bluntness became more and more evident before he scratched his head and coughed a bit awkwardly as he explained; "N-No, it's...well...more for exercise.."

"Exercise?"

"Y-Yeah...to build strength and stamina...I know it sounds a little unorthodox, but it's in my training program." he'd explain with a blush as he realized how messy this all sounded as he said it out loud.

"Hmm...your trainer must hate you." she would say bluntly, knocking the green haired teen on his back with her statement alone.

"Hehe...s-so yeah, u-uhh...thanks for saving me back there but, I have to…" Midorya would turn his head back towards the rock wall that tormented him with a gulp "...try again."

And as the teen got up and walked his way back to his starting point as the peculiar girl merely sat squatted in her spot with a quiet ribbit.

It was a strange meeting, but Izuku was still glad she was there. If she wasn't he would probably have to walk back home in a lot of pain, but thanks to her quick save he was safe and sound and...could...try to climb again...Midorya was starting to think that maybe he would have preferred falling on his ass.

But, he was here to suffer, after all, so with a deep breath, he would pull himself up again, letting off a grunt as he already felt the strain hitting his hands.

" _Alright, slowly to the right now...and grip the crack better this time so I don't fall…"_

It was a thought easier said than done, he knew that, but he was still willing to take the risk instead of climbing through the much more difficult middle part. He just had to do it right this time.

" _Remember to breathe...take it slow…"_

He'd keep reassuring himself inside his mind with each progressive step towards the top, or at least towards his previously marked record, if he could pass that, he'd be happy enough.

"You're doing it all wrong."

The teen's thought process would be rudely interrupted as he looked up to notice he was actually touching noses with the previous frog-like girl from before, Tsuyu sticking to the wall in an awkward upside down position staring intently into Midorya's eyes.

Safe to say her sudden appearance startled the boy so much he lost his grip and fell screaming into the water with a loud splash, which earned a soft, amused giggle from the amphibian girl as she moved to the edge of the lake with a powerful hop, landing graciously in her chosen spot as she waited for Midorya to swim defeated to meet her.

"W-What...y-you were just...sticking to the rock!" Izuku would cry out as he pulled himself out of the lake with a gurgled cough as he looked down at his wet clothes with a grimace.

"It's part of my quirk, I can stick to pretty much any surface." Tsuyu would explain all matter of factly as she relaxed her stance, shifting from her usual squatting position into sitting cross-legged atop the soft grass.

Midorya would let off a long sigh as he rolled over and flopped down on his back across the ground, looking up at the clear blue sky before slowly panning his gaze towards the strange, but oddly cute girl he had met, his face flushing with a gentle tone of red "U-Umm...what was that you said about me...d-doing it wrong?"

Asui would crook her head gently to the side to look down at the boy as he brought her index finger to her chin in an adorable thinking expression "You're putting too much weight on your arms, if you don't distribute it properly you'll tire out too fast and fall on your butt again."

"Hehe...right…" Midorya would say awkwardly as he tried to piece together in his mind what the girl had just said could mean. Was his stance wrong? Perhaps his grip? Or the way he moved? That sent him off in one of his characteristic mumbling sessions, which would have Tsuyu's head crooking even more to the side as she stared at him in a perplexed state.

His mumbling would soon be broken as the girl leaned forwards to wave her hand in front of his face, bringing him back from his trance as he looked back up at her with a blush "O-Oh...s-sorry."

"It's fine." the frog girl would shrug her shoulders with a smile and a lick of the lips "Want me to show you how you're supposed to do it?"

"C-Could you?" the green haired teen would turn towards his new froggy friend with widened eyes and a smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, sure." she'd say as she lifted herself off the ground with her powerful legs, taking a quick moment to stretch her arms above her head with a small ribbit before helping Izuku up.

"Do you know a lot about rock climbing?" the boy would ask his new tutor as he followed after her towards the stone wall.

"I know a bit, had to learn a few things from my quirk and all." she would explain, taking the liberty of grabbing the teen by the hand, much to his embarrassment and guiding his palm towards his usual starting grip spot on the wall as he tried to hide his blush "Here, do it like you usually do."

"U-Uhh...l-like this?" Midorya would ask with uncertainty as he gripped the stone, getting ready to advance and find some footing before his entire body completely froze as he felt Asui's breath against the back of his neck and her hand latched onto his shoulder

"There, you're gripping too hard." she would explain, placing her free palm atop of his, as if to help him relax as she readjusted his hand on the crevice "Relax your grip, you'll be surprised with how loose you can hold onto it and still be secure."

"O-Oh...alright…" Midorya would nod his head, trying again to approach the climb before blushing heavily as he felt the female push him against the wall, earning a jitter that trembled through his entire body.

"You're hanging from your arms when you climb, try to keep your body closer to the wall." Tsuyu would explain, patting him on the back before joining him on the wall, though using her quirk to make her life easier. "Look, I'll show you…"

Asui proceeded to imitate Midorya's usual climbing stance, which looking from an outside perspective, really was rather janky. As she said, he used to hang from his arms, which meant he let his hips fall and weight him down as she demonstrated "See? If you let your butt fall like this, then all of the strain goes to your arms." she demonstrated by gently wiggling her rump, which a teen like Izuku, currently going through puberty, couldn't help but blush heavily at as his mouth gaped.

"So, that's why you keep your chest close like this." she would demonstrate, falling back to her usual, dexterous climbing stance and easily moving along the wall until she was face to face with the boy again, looking down at him from an upside down position. "That way you put more weight on your legs, they can take more than your arms."

"R-Right...ahem…" Midorya would cough a bit awkwardly and shake his head quickly to try and wipe the image of an exposed froggy backside from his mind as he focused his gaze back at the stone in front of him, keeping the girl's tips in mind as he pulled himself up again.

Midorya had to admit, this felt much better now and with Tsuyu accompanying him and correcting his mistakes, he felt like he was finally making progress.

"Ease the grip."

"Turn your leg a little."

"Don't jump, just reach with your tippy toes."

"You're bad at this."

The girl was blunt, but she knew her stuff. Before she knew it Midorya was higher than he had gotten in the previous tries without even using his previous route. He had gone straight down the middle, but now that he knew what he was doing, it had become so much more feasible.

He wasn't afraid of falling anymore, not just because Asui was there to catch him, but because he generally felt safer with some guidance. So he climbed. He climbed further and further alone, grunting and heaving in his tired state before finally driving himself to the limit.

"Hah...that's all I've got in me…" he would say after a deep breath after finding himself some proper footing so he could rest for a moment.

Izuku took the time to acknowledge just where he was now and smiled proudly seeing he had made it more than two meters higher than his last record and with a decisive nod he tied another green rag in the stone to mark his new accomplishment before, with a peaceful sigh, letting go of the rock and falling backwards.

His plan was to fall in the water, but it turned out even better as Tsuyu wrapped her tongue around him to bring him safely down to the edge of the lake before hopping off the wall's side to join the teen with a ribbit.

"Nice going, once you got started you just took off." the girl would compliment him, earning yet another blush and a sheepish scratch of his head. Asui had to admit, she was beginning to appreciate how cute Midorya looked when he was embarrassed.

"Heh...couldn't have done it without your help, really...so, uhh...thanks, Asui." the green-haired fanboy would make a quick bow before the girl, only to have her brush it off with a faint roll of the eyes.

"Just call me Tsuyu. My friends call me that." he would instruct the teen as she plopped her froggy butt down comfortably onto the ground below.

"O-Oh...does that mean we're…" Midorya would begin to say before halting himself. It was a stupid question, he didn't have to be double guessing himself now, especially with how much fun the frog-like girl had made one of the worst training days for him. "A-Alright...thanks, Tsuyu."

"No worries." she would close her eyes with a happy, slightly blushed smile before opening them again and bringing her index finger to her chin "Say, are you going to try again next week?"

"W-Well, yeah, I'm probably gonna be around here at around the same time." Izuku would answer with a small shrug

"I wouldn't mind helping you again, this was pretty fun." Tsuyu would suggest with a smile.

"Hey...if it's not too much of a bother…" the green haired teen would nod with a faint blush

"Don't worry about it...but at least bring something to eat next time." the girl would giggle as she laid back on the grass.

"Well, as long as you don't mind eating healthy!"


	5. Chapter 5 - The Bombshell

**It's your resident stinky boy here with another chapter for this mess.**

 **Truth be told I didn't really like how this one turned out, but hey, can't keep mulling over it too much, better to just drop the load and dab the pain away later.**

 **Also, I've been reading you guys' reviews and thank you so much, even if one of you made me realize how dumb I am because I thought Deku was in highschool already. Mah bad, no bully.**

 **But ye, hope you guys don't hate it as much as I do. See you lads next week or so. Dab.**

* * *

Today was a big day and one Toshinori had been hoping wouldn't come, even if he knew it was inevitable.

It was time to tell Young Midoriya the truth about One For All.

Toshinori let off a long sigh as he stared at his own weakened image in front of his bathroom mirror after just having finished brushing his teeth in the early morning.

He didn't look good. His hair was a mess, messier than usual but that's expected after just waking up. The issue was the bags under his eyes that he had gained after such a poor night of sleep.

Getting shuteye had been a challenge last night, he was worried, nervous...as a hero he lived in the face of danger, he knew every day could be his last and yet none of the villains he faced made his stomach churn as much as the mere concept of breaking things up for his student did.

Why did this have to be so awkward? What would he say? What would he think? Was he ready for it? Was he really the one?

He was.

All Might knew that much without a doubt in his heart, but he was still worried sick about it. The boy had been making good progress in the last few weeks of training. He was becoming slimmer and starting to build muscle, but he knew that once Midorya learned the truth all the accomplishments he's already earned would then seem like nothing.

But, he would be able to take the UA exams next year and if he was to be ready, this could not be postponed anymore. So as the weakened symbol of justice heard the steamy whistle of his kettlepot on the stove he would let out a sigh and caress his temples before nodding to his own reflection as he started the day properly by getting some coffee brewing.

Right now there wasn't enough caffeine in the world to make him feel ready.

* * *

"Thanks again for the help Asui."

"Tsuyu." the froggy girl would correct her green haired friend as was usual for them. Even after they had known each other for a good little while now, Midorya was still a bit awkward and strange to the concept of calling a girl by her first name. Something that should annoy the dark haired little lady…

"R-Right...T-Tsuyu…"

And it probably would if Midorya didn't look so dang adorable when he got called out on it.

"Still, I'm surprised with how fast you're learning. When you started you could barely make it halfway up the wall and now you're already almost climbing it twice in a roll." the girl would compliment her dorky friend with a smile, making him blush with embarrassment and grin.

"Y-Yeah...I guess it wasn't that hard with you there to teach me."

"As long as you keep bringing these shakes." Tsuyu would shrug as he wrapped her lips around the straw of the protein shake Izuku always brought for her. When he started they tasted kind of bland, but after she had bluntly complained about it, as she was known to do, Midorya became surprisingly good at making delicious protein shakes. It really made it easy to have a healthy snack.

"No problem, but I have to get going now. See you next week?" The green haired boy would ask as he put his jacket back on. His clothing had become much sleeker now.

He wore a brand new set of black shorts with a lightweight, form fitting green shirt with matching track jacket and a brand new pair of running shoes. It was a good investment for him with his new habits and, as Tsuyu had so bluntly stated, leaving Deku's head as red as a pepper, she enjoyed being able to see his form better now that he had ditched his old baggy clothes...what exactly she had meant with that, he still wasn't sure, but deep down, it was a confidence boost.

"See ya then!" the froggy would would say with a ribbit as she stretched her legs after another set of climbing as Midorya left her to her own affairs.

Tsuyu had quickly become a good friend of his, and although they didn't do much besides meet at the park every week for a climbing session, he had grown quite fond of her. He should probably do something else with her one of these days...but then again, that'd be kinda like asking her out, what if she got the wrong idea...Deku stopped thinking about it quickly before he puked out of embarrassment.

Instead he focused his mind on what he had for the rest of the day. Another set of training at All Might's gym.

Part of him still couldn't believe that that's where he trained, it was all so surreal, but as he reached the well maintained doorway in the creepy, rundown alley and unlocked the door, that fresh scent of lime would make the teen feel at home.

Because even if he didn't mean it, this place had, in a way, become a second home for him. He knew where everything was by now, he cleaned it up after he was done, sometimes he bought things for it to make it more comfortable. Although just being there was beyond his wildest dreams, it was also comfortable.

What a complicated sensation.

But, with a smile the teen slipped out of his shoes and made a quick dash to the bathroom to wash the sweat off his face and refresh himself before he got going.

Midorya's workout routine was thankfully a little easier on a wall climb day. Push ups, sit ups and some time at the jump rope to warm him backup before he grabbed the dumbbells.

If anything, the kid had a severe sense of diligence. He never skipped on anything, if the workout plan said to lift the weight twelve times, he squeezed that twelfth lift out no matter how much pain his body was going through.

It made him smile though, he had already climbed his way past one level of the dumbbells and he was already feeling like the one he was using would become too light for him in a short while. He couldn't see his own muscles yet, he wasn't nearly that defined after such a short time, but at least he knew all this sweat was taking him somewhere.

But today wasn't going to be a usual day, as the teen would come to find out after having his attention peeled away from his scheduled weight lifting as he saw his idol step in through the door dressed in some rather casual clothing " **Hello, young Midorya! Hard at work, I see!"**

Izuku's expression brightened as his smile became wider as he saw All Might, instinctively putting more effort into lifting the weights he held so he could perhaps impress his tutor "H-Hey, All Might! Y-Yeah, I'm trying my best!" he'd answer a bit awkwardly as he was approached by the blond, receiving a rewarding pat on the back that puffed his chest with pride.

" **Izuku…"** the number one hero would clear his throat as he started before the words died in his throat as his eyes met the young boy's bright and expectant ones. All of the sudden, all of the worry had rushed back. Toshinori knew he needed a successor but...pulling someone into this mess, laying all of this responsibility on them wasn't an easy thing to do " **...I, uhh...I brought donuts!"**

"D-Donuts?" Izuku would crook his head to the side with mild confusion at the statement "That doesn't really...fit in the nutrition plan…"

" **Well, yeah, but you have to cheat on it a little bit every once in a while to keep your sanity!"** All Might announced with a laugh as he opened the box of multicolored, sugary goodness towards the teen with a bright smile " **And you've been working hard as it is, allow yourself some freedom today and get back on the horse tomorrow!"**

I mean, what he was saying about cheat days and all wasn't exactly a lie, it wasn't too bad to have one every once in a while just to keep your mental state in check...but the real reason he had brought the box of dessert was because for some reason he felt like maybe it would help 'sweeten' the bombshell he was about to drop...or maybe he felt like he was going to need something caloric to binge on after it hit.

It seemed to work part way, however as he saw Izuku shrug his shoulders and shily reach in for a blueberry filled donut before the pro hero himself grabbed a strawberry glazed one.

He had grabbed them from the coffee shop he usually visited nearly every morning, the sweets there were always teasing him and his healthy habits every time he went there and from the occasional cheat days he squeezed in, he knew them to be top quality. The dough was light and soft, the filling not overly sweet and generous, all in all it was a great snack that helped loosen his throat for what he had to do and hopefully it helped placing young Midorya in a state of comfort, he'd need it.

" **Izuku…"** All Might would say as he swallowed his first bite of donut, which had been awfully slow given Deku already had his cheeks puffed with half of his treat already, the kid really missed a more unhealthy eat " **...we have to talk."**

Now that was not a reassuring statement. Izuku knew nothing good usually came after 'we have to talk'. All of the sudden as he nervously swallowed the sweet batter that rested in his mouth he brought his eyes to his idol, who seemed to be staring off towards the floor with the nibbled treat in his hand. He felt a cold sensation rush into his stomach.

Had he done something wrong? Had something happened?

"T-Talk…? A-About what...?"

Toshinori would sigh as he rubbed his eyes, trying to ease the strain inside his mind as he cleared his throat " **Well...there's something I have to tell you, young Midorya...I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you when it comes to the reason I started training you."**

"W-What do you mean?" the green haired teen would ask as he fiddled with his powdered sugar covered fingers awkwardly

" **So...uhh...it's a long story…"** Toshinori would say, making his protege jump back as he saw the steam begin to seep off of his skin as he finally relaxed enough to let his muscle form go as he slowly deflated down to his neutral, skeletal shape, running his fingers through his golden mane as he took a deep breath "But I can't keep leaving it for later."

"W-What…" the student would stand up and step away from his idol as he watched his shape shift and shrink, a hand quickly coming to cover his mouth as his eyes teared up in plain confusion.

"It's still me, kid…" Toshinori would say as he lifted his shirt to expose the painful looking scar on the side of his torso "I took a bad hit in a fight years ago...it left me in bad shape, I can only stay at full power for two hours every day, usually…"

"O-Oh no…" Deku trembled as he felt his heartbeat intensify and his stomach hollow out with a cold, uncomfortable sensation of dread "W-When did it happen? Was it your fight against Razor? Or El Diablo...?"

"Heh...fanboy…" the symbol of peace would laugh weakly as he brushed some hair away from his face "But no, this fight was covered up, the only people who know about it are the ones who were there to see it going down." he would explain with a sigh "I...should have told you earlier."

"T-Two hours...you shouldn't have wasted so much time with me, if you can only be a hero that much...y-you should have...you could be saving people...if you weren't with me…"

"Izuku!" Toshinori would catch the boy's attention with a stern voice and a frown on his face. To think that even in a situation like this the teen still found it in him to think of others before himself "I used what time I had with you because I wanted to! If I didn't think it was not worth every second, I wouldn't be here!"

"B-But...how can it be worth it...when people's lives are at stake…?" Midorya would spew out with worry in his shaky voice as he attempted to hold back his tears

"Well...listen, you're a great kid, alright...but there's another reason." Toshinori would say as he would suddenly chomp down the rest of his donut before quickly gulping it down with a grunt "My quirk. It's unique in a way. It can be passed over to other people...and with the way things are, I know I won't be able to be a hero for much longer, so...I need someone to carry it on for me, a heir...and I want that to be you."

Midorya fell silent for a moment, gulping down a nervous, dry swallow before he let out an awkward laugh as he fidgeted in place "Hehe...that's like a...a joke right? Pfft, I mean, me? The symbol of peace? You're just pranking me, right…?"

Toshinori sighed again as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head and shifted in his seat for a moment "I'm sorry this was all so sudden, young Midorya...I just couldn't think of any better way to tell you...but it's the truth…" he'd say, bringing his blue eyes towards the green haired teen "I want you to be my successor...the next Symbol of Peace."

Those words echoed inside the boy's head for an uncomfortable amount of time, so much so the silent quickly became awkward and All Might found himself shifting his eyes from side to side before coughing a tad awkwardly

"U-Uhh...young Midorya?"

"I-I...I d-don't know what to say…" the green haired teen would answer as he fidgeted nervously in place "Is that why...you've been training me?"

"...yes." the blond admitted "Your body can't handle my quirk right now. You need to become stronger if you want to hold it...if you want to, Izuku. I'm not forcing you to do it...but I really think you'd be perfect for it."

"I-I don't know…"

"If you want to take some time to think about it, that's fine. These are pretty big news." All Might would reassure him "Just...cut the training short today and take the time to wrap your head around it, no need to rush."

"O-Okay…" Izuku would say, not really knowing what else he could say about it with how anxious he was feeling "I...I think I should go home…"

"Y-Yeah...probably for the best…" Toshinori would say as he looked down towards the floor "You...uhh...you can take the donuts."

* * *

Izuku laid on his bed, his eyes glued to the ceiling as he tried to make sense of the news he had just received today.

Why was he in this state? This was a good thing wasn't it? Well, All Might being in the state he was in wasn't good at all, but he had chosen him, out of all people, to be the next him. He could be a hero, have a strong quirk, save people...he always dreamed of that.

But he never stopped to think of what it all really meant.

Images of his idol's scar and his bony condition flashed in his mind...that's what it really meant to be a hero. To risk that happening to him every day of the job. To come home with new scars, to always be worried that danger is around the corner, to become a target.

" _What if I can't do it? What if I'm not strong enough? What if when the time comes...I can't save anyone?"_

All Might was a figure larger than life, but Izuku had never stopped to think of the man behind the costume and all of the worries he must hide behind that smile. Had he failed to save someone before? Did he still remember them? Would he ever forget?

Izuku then thought of his mom. The one who had always been there for him, doing her absolute best to keep him safe. If he became a hero he'd have to make her worry every day...what if he died out there? Who would take care of her? What if the villains targeted her? Could he be strong enough to protect her?

The teen tossed and turned on his bed before turning the light off on his bedside lamp, letting the darkness envelop his room and still, he struggled to find an end to his restlessness.

What if All Might was wrong? What did he have that others didn't? Why not someone like Kacchan? Someone that was strong enough to take the wheel and control their destiny...someone with a strong quirk.

Midorya closed his eyes shut as he tried to stop the pair of soft, tearful streams that ran down his cheeks as the sobs escaped from under his breath.

It was like suddenly the weight of the world had been dropped atop his shoulders. Only when his dream seemed real enough, seemed possible, did he realize how heavy of a burden it was. Being a hero wasn't just something people did to look cool in a costume, it was something that needed broad shoulders to carry every day...and Izuku wasn't sure he was strong enough to carry it.

" _I just need some sleep...yeah...I'll be fine tomorrow, I just need to...sleep this off…."_

…

Beep beep beep beep

Echoed out the loud and annoyingly effective alarm clock the green haired boy had besides his back before he smacked it quiet with a yawn, rubbing his eyes awake for a moment as he looked up at the ceiling yet again.

Oh yeah...yesterday happened.

Suffice to say Midorya had woken up in a demotivated slump.

"Ugh...whatever...maybe I should just...give up on this hero stuff…" he would mumble to himself as he turned his body towards the wall and closed his eyes again. He thought of getting up...but then he thought of the possibility of seeing All Might at the park...he didn't want to, just thinking about it hurt. And in his tired state from a bad night of sleep, avoidance of the issue seemed to be the winning side in this battle as the teen began to drift back into slumber, cheating on a workout day for the first time since he started.

Maybe it was for the best, maybe he needed a wake up call to snap him out of his childish dreams…

Tac

Maybe giving up was okay this time...

Tac

He'd give All Might his answer later, he just really didn't feel like getting up right now…

THUNK

Izuku jumped out of his bed at the sudden slam against his wall as he rushed to the window instinctively to see just what had hit it to make such a sound.

Looking down at his veranda he could see a pair of small pebbles and a rock the size of a fist...he wondered for a moment how they had ended up here, before his answer came soon enough.

"Deku! Where the hell are you, you wimp?!"


	6. Chapter 6 - Rivals

**Hey there mates, it's been a while. Sorry for the delayed update but last week was my birthday so I was busy dabbing all day, as you do.**

 **But now I'm back to work on this shitshow, so hope I can still please you cunts. I noticed that some people were getting a little tired of Izuku being so insecure, which I was worried about, but most people complained on the chapter before it actually got fixed, so yeah! Good news! Get dabbed on!**

 **As always, hope you guys enjoy it and make sure to smash that mothafuckin like button, comment and subscribe. Brofist.**

* * *

No, not today. This was the last thing Izuku needed today. He needed peace and quiet, time to think, time to come to terms with what had happened...and not…

"Don't make me wait here like a clown! Come out right now or I'll bring your entire building down!"

Not Katsuki Bakugo.

Deku would sigh to himself as he glanced out the window to see the teen's shape yelling at him down there. Katsuki seemed to be wearing some shorts and a sweatshirt. Workout clothes, from what it seemed, a mix of red and blue, all of which was much fancier than what the green haired boy had ever had.

With a nervous gulp the awkward dork figured he had to face his….'friend'. It was better than have him wake up the entire neighborhood with his yelling, and Izuku knew that's something he would do shamelessly...and then he'd pick a fight with whoever complained. Yup! Too much trouble for what it was worth!

"K-Kacchan? What do you want this early in the morning?" Deku would yell back down at him with an awkward stutter in his voice. No matter how long he had known him for, Izuku could never hold his tone against Katsuki.

"There you are Deku!" Bakugo would snarl like a rabid dog as he pointed upwards, straight at his green haired...friend? "Get your ass down here! The day I decide to show you who's on top you skip out on your morning run?! I'd kill you right now if I didn't want to prove that I'm better than you!"

"W-What…?" Midorya would scratch his head in confusion

"Shut up! Just get down here right now!"

"Ugh…" Izuku would groan as he brought a hand to his face before letting out a long sigh into his palm as his fingers traced the locks of his hair "Not like I have a choice with you making a scene…"

"I-I'll be down in a moment!" he'd call out, closing the window before Kacchan's remark could hit him as he headed to the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth as usual. Damn, the day he felt like skipping workout and sleeping until late this happens...I guess life doesn't care about when to kick you, huh?

Deku had to move quick, it was inconsiderate, rude and a plain crappy thing to just come here out of nowhere screaming for him and if it were any other person, Izuku might have found it in him to at least make them wait until he cooked himself some breakfast...but this was Kacchan...and Kacchan had a tendency to get reeeeeeeeeally noisy if he lost patience, so today he'd just quickly slip into his workout clothes and settle for a protein shake as his breakfast before he dashed out towards the elevator. Guess there was no skipping workout today since he was already up, he'd just go for his morning run after dealing with Bakugo.

"Okay...just keep calm, he's probably just angry at…" Deku would say to himself as he leaned against the back side of the descending elevator while trying to think of all of the things Katsuki could be angry at...until the list just became way too long "He's...probably just being himself."

Izuku would make a quick dash out of the lobby of his building, giving the kind old man that always hung around there an awkward wave with a blush on his face as he made his way out of the building to make his way towards the frowning, spiky haired blond.

"Took your damn time. You have a nerve making me wait down here."

"Well, I d-didn't really know you wanted to meet with m-me today…" Izuku would try to defend himself with a soft shrug of the shoulders as he held out a plastic bottle for the boy "I brought you some water...you know, if you want it…"

"Hmph…" Katsuki would grumble as he snatched the cold bottle from the other teen's hand, drifting his eyes away from him with gritted teeth "Whatever, where the hell were you? You always come out at five AM every day!"

"U-Uhh...I mean...wait, how do you know that?" Izuku's embarrassment would suddenly shift to a puzzled look as one of his brows raised

Katsuki's expression seemed to shift into a flustered one for a single moment before he violently shook his head to wipe it away and come back with his angry and confident look he always wore "I'm awake at that time, you idiot! I see you when I pass by the park!" He'd explain with an angered growl hidden behind his voice "It doesn't matter, let's go!"

Izuku was forced to awkwardly follow after the teen's brisk pace as he fidgeted awkwardly trying to wrap his mind around the situation he had found himself stuck in "A-Ahm...where are we going again…?"

"To the park! That's where you do your weak ass runs, right?" Bakugo would answer without giving the green haired dork the courtesy of turning to face him

"Yeah? Do you...want to come with me?"

"Come with you? I'm gonna beat you at it!" Katsuki would ask, earning a googly eyed look from the green haired teen as he followed after him for minutes of awkward silence before Katsuki would pipe up again in a snarl as the duo approached the park Deku usually used for his daily routine "How many laps do you do?"

"T-Ten laps, usually." Izuku would answer with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "How am I supposed to work out with him breathing down my neck…?"

"Heh, figures a wimp like you would only do that. I'm gonna do twenty just to show you who's boss!" the spiky haired blond would say with a sadistic smile. That was it, after he made Deku eat his dust he'd be able to sleep properly again.

"Sure...sounds good…" Izuku would say with a faint roll of his eyes as he did his usual pre-run leg stretches, trying to simply ignore the explosive teen, it wasn't worth getting irritated over his antics.

"Alright, get started already. Haven't even started running and you're already as slow as a damn sloth!" Bakugo would hop in place impatiently

"Okay...well...I'll count down, then." Izuku would shrug after clearing his throat as he saw Katsuki shift his stance as he waited for the go ahead. Midorya knew what that meant, he was just going to bolt as soon as he was told to. At least he could use that to jog in peace when he got ahead, but still he'd mimic the stance "3...2…1…"

"Go!" Katsuki would yell with a wicked smile as he kicked up dust in his wake, rushing forward in an outright sprint with adrenaline flowing in his veins from the sheer feeling of proving he was better than Deku yet again. How could the nerd even hope to accomplish anything? But Katsuki had put him back in his place where he belonged, leagues behind him.

Bakugo was fast and relentless in his running as he turned the curve of the pathway, almost knocking a cyclist down in his careless sprint as he turned around to hopefully catch a glimpse of slowpoke Deku all the way back where he was probably at...only to see a green blur pass him by the corner of his eye. "What the hell?!"

Deku hadn't just caught up, he had been keeping pace all this time, and with the explosive teen's momentary stop, he had now overtaken him, which had prompted Bakugo to lunge back into his sprint to catch up "Get back here Deku!"

It wasn't worth it, that's what Izuku's brain kept telling him. Going up against Kacchan? It never went well for him...but right now his brain wasn't piloting. He had given full control to his heart and it was telling him to run faster than he had ever ran before, to not let Bakugo best him this time. This time he wouldn't back down just because Katsuki had decided it was his right to win.

"H-Having t-trouble back there Kacchan?" Deku would taunt the teen, not even believing the words that fell out of his mouth as he saw the spiky haired teen beelining towards him, which only made him pick up the pace.

"Don't you make fun of me, Deku! I'll kill you!" Katsuki would growl as he put his legs to work.

Izuku had to watch out, it wasn't like Katsuki was just too cocky, that confidence was built on top of a foundation made out of competence. Suffice to say he was fit, much more so than Izuku was currently, of course, he had been exercising himself for longer...but that just meant he'd have to push harder. "Twenty laps? That's what you said...I-I'll do thirty this time!"

It would soon turn into a struggle for dominance between the two teens. Bakugo pushed just as hard as Izuku and catched up quickly, but the green haired teen didn't let up, stretching his limitations as he refused to let up. Seeing the two running left a lot of park goers confused and a bit frightened as they had to move out of the way of the stampede, something neither of the two seemed to care for.

This felt much better than Midorya had thought, he had almost forgotten how much of a bad idea it seemed before he got started. But now that he did, all that was left was the thrill, the rush he felt to hear another set of footsteps beside his, to glance to the side only to spot a blond blur. Izuku was smiling, there was just something about the situation that pleased him, unlike Bakugo, who just kept his usual frown.

One lap quickly climbed to two, and then five, and then ten. They never started counting to begin with, they didn't need to. All that mattered to them was whether or not the other stopped first and by the thirteenth lap, that moment seemed to be approaching.

Now, this was much different than before. The intense race to prove who was faster, the speedy neck to neck battle slowly lost its momentum as the two boys ran out of steam. Now their pace was slower, the frantic sprint nothing more than a light jog as they huffed along, struggling with every step as their exhausted huffs and sweat covered movements lined the motions of the competition.

"Haah...give up already Deku!" Katsuki still yelled amidst his heavy breaths after wiping some sweat from his forehead "You look like...you're about to die! Just...huff...cut your losses, wimp!"

"Oof...not...not this time, Kacchan!" Izuku would almost laugh as he struggled to gulp down enough air to fuel his movements as he spoke with a level of conviction that surprised even himself "I can run to hell and back without breaking a sweat...this...haah...this is nothing!"

"The hell are you blabbering about…?" Katsuki would raise a brow as he shook his head with another huff "There's no way you can do this without killing yourself. I know for a fact I've been doing this longer than you!"

That was something Izuku couldn't argue against. The spiky haired blond had a clear advantage over him, how could he not? Katsuki had been grinding his fitness up for probably years now, even if he didn't do it as efficiently as Izuku was currently doing, he still had some catching up to do...but still, he couldn't let him win this time. Every muscle in his body was aching and begging him to stop, but he was just shutting all of their pleas out, he was forcing his body to give him all it had and then some more.

"I can do it...I have to...A-All Might...needs me to be strong enough!"

That is why he couldn't lose this time. This wasn't just about owning up to Katsuki, it wasn't about the thrill of the competition, this battle was against himself more than anyone else. His insecurities, his self-doubts, his fears. A hero must not be dominated by them. He had to prove to himself that he was capable and Bakugo was…

Izuku would glance at his colleague with a smile for a moment as he kept his tired pace "You've always been on top Kacchan...I've always looked up to you, but now...damn, I want to surpass you."

Both of them were on their last legs from going at their top speed for so long, it was getting to the point where they had started to lose their footing. Their running was tumbled and out of line and their movements sluggishly poor before their match came to an end as the both of them seemed to tumble against each other in a mutual misstep, which sent the two teens stumbling down to the ground with a thud.

"Haaah...dammit Deku! Look where you step, you damn idiot!" Bakugo would shout from his spot, panting on the ground as he sprawled out on his back to finally catch his breath.

"H-Hey….uff...that was totally you…!" Izuku would retort with a tired chuckle as he began crawling his way up to plop his backside down on a bench with a huff as he exasperatedly opened his water bottle to take several large gulps of the cool liquid.

"Yeah right...stupid Deku…" Katsuki would sigh as he slowly pulled himself up to take a few slumped steps to the bench and sit himself down at the far end opposite to the green haired teen with a deep breath followed by a grumble as he opened the bottled water the dork had brought for him to sip from it. "Dammit…"

What followed afterwards were several seconds of nothing but awkward silence save for the sounds of watery slurps and exhausted huffs as the two watched the movement of the park. Seemed like it was a calm day, if a bit cloudy. A few kids ran around with ice cream, some people had picnics, a few dogs being taken for a stroll...despite that it looked like it would rain later, if the darkness that loomed in the clouds over the horizon were anything to go by.

"H-Hey Kacchan…?" Deku finally broke the silence...though he kept his gaze away from the teen, instead opting to look at the sheath of clouds that covered the blue of the sky above. He figured if he didn't look at Katsuki's scary stare, it'd help with holding his composure.

That said, Izuku could totally feel his glare almost burning his skin as Bakugo turned his head towards him "What do you want?"

"Have you ever...gotten stuck on an important decision?"

That would raise a brow from the explosive teen as he took another gulp of his water "The hell are you talking about?"

"Like…" Deku would try to refine the thought in his head as he scratched the back of his head "If you had to make up your mind about doing something...and if you did, it'd probably change everything…"

"Pfft…" The teen would immediately scoff as he rolled his eyes "Nope, never, I don't get stuck with making choices, I just do it." he'd answer with a cocky smile and a shrug "What's this about? Finally deciding if you should just jump off a cliff?

"Ugh, no...sheesh…" Izuku would shudder at Katsuki's lack of tact before letting out a sigh "And it's kinda personal...listen, just forget I asked."

Bakugo would stare at the green haired dork he so much despised for a few seconds, a frown permanently stapled onto his face as he grunted softly "Well, whatever it is, just fucking do it."

"How can you say that with so much confidence when you don't even know what it is? I already told you I'm not j-jumping off of a-anything!" Izuku would grown in annoyance

"If it was clearly a bad idea, you wouldn't be all hung up about it." the spiky haired blond would say with a shrug "You probably want to do it, you're just afraid it's gonna be too hard or too risky."

Izuku's eyes widened as he stared at his friend for a few moments. What he had just said made...sense? He'd even dare calling it helpful. Since when could Bakugo do that?!

"That's why you're a wimp, any time you want something you start whining until back up. If you think you can't do it, then all you waste by trying is your time and since you can't do anything right anyways, it's not like your time is worth much." the explosive teen would shake his head with a snicker "You want advice? Pick up your weapon and face it, better to fall flat on your face than never trying to get off the mud...and don't get used to this! Next time I'm charging your ass for my opinion!"

Izuku let his...friend? Yes, his friend's words rummage through his mind for a moment before smiling softly as he looked down at his own hands "T-Thanks, Kacchan."

"Whatever. I still got places to be." Katsuki would say as he suddenly sprung off his seat with a growl and began stomping off on his own path "Next time I'll run circles around you, you just got lucky, wimp!"

Midorya would shake his head gently with a small smile as he leaned back onto his seat on the bench as he looked back down at his hand before closing it into a firm fist with a flame relit in his eyes "He's right, I was afraid of the risk...afraid of not being enough…"

Deku brought his hands together to crack his fingers "If I couldn't be enough then All Might wouldn't choose me...if I can't trust myself then I just have to trust him…"

"Um, excuse me…?"

"It's gonna be hard, of course it is, but hard isn't impossible…"

"Helloooo?"

"So what if things change? I don't like how things are right now anyways! If I don't take a chance I'll never get anywhere…"

Izuku's thoughts and usual mumbling fit would be interrupted by a snap of fingers in front of his face, his eyes widening as he blinked a few times, noticing the feminine hand that was held before him and tracing it up along the arm to meet its owner...the girl looked oddly familiar with her short brown hair, save for a pair of longer strands to each side of her face and her rosy cheeks "Um...hi…"

"H-Hehe…hey, umm...sorry if I interrupted something, but…" Uraraka scratched the back of her neck sheepishly as she looked down at the green haired boy in front of her "I think I know you from somewhere."


	7. Chapter 7 - A Relaxing Day

**Hey there, sons, it's ya local lad that writes shit when he's bored, which is all the time, except that now I do it because I want those juicy reviews**

 **Today's chapter is slightly shorter than you guys are used to, so sorry about that, but it is a chapter that opens up a lot of stuff I wanna work with, so if you do find it short, take it as just a little lead up, an appetizer, the bread sticks they put on your table before they bring the main course. Mmmm, breadsticks...I could use some breasticks right now. What the fuck am I talking about.**

 **So yeah, see you guys next chapter and you better fucking post reviews so I break the fiddy review mark ya dirty bastards**

* * *

"Uhh...yeah, you...d-do look familiar." Izuku said as he looked up at the girl, his tired gaze finally focusing on her properly to appreciate her cute face and rosy cheeks along with her nice getup, if simple, composed of a loose white shirt and pink painstakingly form fitting pants that reached down to her calves, along with a nice pair of sneakers.

"You were there, weren't you?" the girl asked with a faint blush on her cheeks as she tapped her fingers together with their respective pairs "When that scaled criminal got beaten up by All Might, it came out in the news and everything."

"Oh yeah, I think he called himself Big Croc, hehe...yeah, I was there." the green haired boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly with a faint tinge of red on his cheeks. How could he forget the day that started it all? When a simple detour of his usual path kickstarted his path to hopefully become a true hero, truth be told he remembered every detail. The fear he felt, the adrenaline that pumped through his veins, All Might coming to his rescue and...the girl… "Wait...t-that was you! You're the girl that saved me!"

The brown haired teen scratched the back of her head as she looked away from the boy all flustered as she laughed a bit awkwardly "I mean...I think 'tried to save you' fits better, that guy would have beaten me up if you didn't grab his attention again, soooo...guess we're even!" she said with a faint giggle before extending out a hand towards the green haired teen with a properly bright smile that almost made Izuku's heart melt "My name's Ochako, Ochako Uraraka."

Deku would shake the girl's hand a bit awkwardly. He wasn't used to dealing with girls...or how soft their hands were "I-Izuku Midorya...nice to meet you."

"Sorry if I was interrupting anything, I just couldn't ignore you after I saw you. I always wondered if you were okay after what happened." she explained with a soft sigh, which earned her a smile from the boy before her as he waved her worries off.

"Don't worry about it, I was taking a break anyways." he laughed softly as he looked up at her with a bit of awkwardness "And I'm fine, better than ever actually. I just got a few bruises from the day, nothing major."

"Phew, that's good to hear, I was really worried since...he kind of tossed you around pretty hard…" she looked down with a relieved expression as she took a deep breath

Then what followed were a few seconds of awkward silence as both of the teen's brains were struggling to come up with things to say next as they looked around a bit awkwardly. Should one of them leave? Was the conversation over? Some of the greatest questions unanswered in the world.

"So, uhh...you want to sit down?" Izuku would finally break the silence as he gestured to the now empty bench beside him.

"O-Oh, s-sure!" Uraraka replied before sitting her backside down on the wooden seat, keeping a respectful distance from the teen, but not as extreme as Katsuki had just a moment before. "So...ahem...are you planning on trying out for UA next year?"

"I mean...maybe." Midorya would cough a bit awkwardly at the question, which had a very, very complicated answer, at least when it came to his case in specific "If everything goes well...why do you ask?"

Ochako blushed slightly as she peeled a few loose strands of hair away from her face and cleared her throat "I just assumed so, it's everyone's big dream right now and all." she shrugged sheepishly with a smile "Plus, not just anyone stands up to a villain the way you did...and since I saw you working out, I imagined it'd be to get ready for the exam."

"It really wasn't that big of a deal…" Deku brushed her compliments off, though admittedly, they did tickle his ego in a right way "What about you? Are you going to the exam?"

"Yup!" the girl would answer nearly immediately with a thumbs up "I can take away the gravity of anything I touch, so I'm hoping that's good enough to get me into the hero course." she said with big, starry eyes.

"That sounds really useful for a support hero. You could lift debris and maybe even use it for combat if you adapt your fight style. Being able to take away your opponent's gravity would turn them into a sitting duck, so…." was what Izuku said before his words became too mumbled and low toned as he covered his mouth in another mumbling fit, spewing out all the potential he saw in the girl's powers, which made her blush awkwardly as she looked from side to side wondering what had gotten into the teen.

"Uhh...Midorya?" she called out "M-Midorya...Izuku, hey...HEY!" Uraraka shouted as she poked the top of the boy's head, instantly snapping him free of his mumble induced trance, prompting him to look up to her with a blush.

"O-Oh...s-sorry, guess I got a little caught up...hehe…"

Gosh, he was so adorable. It made Ochako want to squeeze him like a teddy bear...I mean, what?

"N-No problem, heh...so what's your quirk?" she asked with a smile

Crap.

How would Midorya explain this? He couldn't say he didn't have one, it didn't make sense that he'd be taking the UA test without one...plus, it might not even be true anymore if he accepted All Might's offer, however that worked. And he couldn't just say 'Oh, All Might's quirk', that sounded even stupider...best course of action was to try and describe whatever All Might's quirk was, which was a mystery to everyone in the world...great.

"Oh, it's...a little complicated." he said with a faint, awkward meep of a laugh "No one has found a way to describe how it works properly yet...but I guess it's a general physical improvement quirk...I'm a late bloomer so I only got it recently...relatively recently." he explained awkwardly with a cough on top

"Oh...okay." Ochako would answer with a raised brow "Well, a physical quirk is probably the best kind for the exam, so I'm sure you'll do great. Better than me at least...if I use my quirk too much I get so nauseous I can barely walk…"

"Hey...I'm sure you can find a work around for that." Izuku piped up with sudden excitement "Did you ever try yoga or meditation?"

"What…? I mean...not really, I only started jogging like, today." she squirmed with embarrassment as she looked down at her own stomach and those pesky pounds that she despised.

"They'd be good for you. They improve your breathing, which helps with nausea." Deku explained, being thankful he had researched all of that stuff about exercise when he did "It won't get rid of your quirk's side effects, but it would help you deal with it. I'm sure you'd be using your anti gravity better for the exam if you started practicing now."

"Whoa...I never thought of that." Ochako's interest seemed to be roused as she inched closer to the green haired teen "And you really think it'll work?"

"I don't see why not! Meditation is something I've been meaning to take up myself!" he laughed with a smile

"Oh, then we can be meditation partners! It's probably easier with someone else!" she exclaimed with a giggle

"Yeah!"

Wait...what? Did Izuku just get another cute girl to workout with him? Well, at least this time it was just meditation, you know, you had your eyes closed and nothing suggestive happened, he'd be able to focus without his hormones getting in the way.

"And I'm making you try out yoga too!"

Crap.

"S-Sure." Midorya would sigh as a bead of sweat dropped down the side of his head

"Hey, since we're going to be partners, we should celebrate by doing something together!" Uraraka suggested with an excited smile as she tugged on Izuku's shoulder. "Come on, it'll be nice."

"Alright, uhh…" Deku mumbled for a moment as he tried to think of the available options "There's a nice coffee shop nearby if you want to grab a bite."

"Do they have pie?"

"Loads of pies, actually."

"Let's go."

* * *

"Mmmmmhmhm...worth every calorie…" Uraraka murred to herself as she took the first bite of her cherry pie with ice cream. She'd have to get back on diet right after this minor escapade, but for now, she just wanted to sit back and let her taste buds enjoy it.

Izuku wasn't much of a sweet tooth, but he had to admit, the apple pie in this place was pretty tasty and homely feeling, the gentle sweetness of it coating his tongue nicely, which felt great combined with the heat of his cappuccino. After All Might had gotten him into it, Midorya had become quite the avid coffee drinker.

"Glad you're enjoying it." he said with a smile as Ochako sipped cheerfully on her hot cocoa

"I'm having...mmm...the time of my life!" she giggled in between mouthfuls before gulping loudly with a satisfying sigh leaving her lungs "So! I forgot to ask, but, you're trying out for the hero course too, right?"

Izuku laughed a bit awkwardly as he scratched behind his neck with a sigh "T-That's the plan…"

"Hey, that didn't sound too enthusiastic there…" she stated with a hint of worry fluttering in her expression

"It's just...I don't know." he scratched his head with a deep breath as he fiddled idly with his piece of pie, scraping all of the scattered crumbs together in a big pile in a corner of the plate "I guess...part of me is kind of scared…"

"Scared of not making it?" The brunette inquired as she leaned closer onto the table "Everyone's scared of that."

"Yeah, that too...but I'm also a little scared of getting in, to be honest." Izuku tried his best to explain, even if it all sounded awkward and messy in his head "Like...if we make it, everything just changes at once, you know? You stop being a normal person, you become a hero. You don't depend on people anymore, they depend on you...and I like how that sounds, I want to help people so much, but...I guess now that it's actually around the corner in a way...it's stupid, my nerves are just getting to me…"

Midorya was right with that statement, his head was throbbing the more he thought about the matter. He knew he couldn't stop himself from at least trying to make it, it had been his dream for as long as he knew himself...but how much was a dream worth when people's lives were at stake? Was he being selfish in wanting this so bad? The questions were stupid and were probably just him worrying too much, he knew that, but still they managed to torment him day and night.

But then, for a moment, it all seemed to fade. The doubts, the questions, the throbbing inside his mind eased as he felt the touch of Ochako's hand atop his, the softness of her palm calming him near immediately as he looked up to meet her soft smile, the sight melting away his worries as he felt himself slowly smiling along with her.

"I don't think it's stupid...I think the fact you worry so much means you're gonna be a great hero, Izuku." the girl said in a reassuring tone as she squeezed the green haired teen's hand a little tighter "Just don't let the worries stop you, and if you need, I'm here to shake you out of it. We're making it into UA together, alright?"

Izuku had to clench his other hand to keep himself from blushing too hard as he nodded fiercely with a bright smile on his face "Deal!"

After a few awkward seconds of silence, both of the teens became red and flustered before pulling away from each other and going back to eating their pie while trying to avoid each other's gaze, though they both had smiles on display.

"So, uhh...does wednesday sound good for the meditation thing?" Ochako asked sheepishly

"Y-Yeah, sounds uhh...great!"

"Also, thanks for the pie and all."

"N-No worries...hey, uhh…" Izuku would stammer as he let his gaze drift to the clock resting above the shop's counter "You mind if we talk later? I have to get going, there's something I have to do."

"Oh, sure, don't worry about it. See ya soon!" Uraraka would giggle to herself as Midorya wolfed down the rest of his pie and dashed out of the shop after leaving enough money to pay for both of their meals.

Ochako stuffed the last bite into her mouth with another murr as she watched the green haired figure disappear outside the window with a small smile "Mmmm...he's so fricking cute!"

* * *

"Ugh...t-twenty…" Toshinori would huff as he dropped the weight down on the floor with a long sigh. He hated being constricted to this light of a load in his weakened form, but he'd be damned if he let the wound get in the way of his exercising, he had been doing it daily for years and he wouldn't stop now.

Plus it helped to relieve stress and, truth be told, he had a whole lot of that to pump out ever since Izuku ran off yesterday...he was worried about the boy. Worried that he might have said or done something wrong, but he figured it'd be best to just give him some time to himself.

"Alright...one more set of sit ups maybe?" the blond said to himself as he looked at the clock with a thoughtful hum as he huffed heavy breaths "I got time." he'd say to himself as he stretched his arms above his head, getting ready for another set.

At least until his attention was pulled towards the familiar click of the doorway being unlocked as his green haired protege stepped in with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

"Y-Young Midorya! You're back!"

The teen jumped a bit as he realized his tutor had been there all this time, it wasn't unusual to see him there but with the hero schedule, there was no way of knowing when they'd meet up at the gym, so Izuku wasn't entirely expecting to see him here...and still, he would take some time getting used to his weakened, scrawny true shape.

"H-Hey All Might...y-you startled me a little." the teen said with an awkward laugh "Sorry I'm late, I...got caught up with something." he said sheepishly with a faint blush, which earned a raised curious brow from the number one hero for a moment.

But there were more pressing things to focus on currently and Toshinori had to get to it as soon as he could, better to tackle it head on as he did everything else "Listen, young Midorya...about yesterday...I probably unveiled the news a bit too bluntly so, I'm-" the symbol of peace began speaking before being interrupted as Deku piped up.

"I accept."

"...what?" All Might would mumble in confusion

"Your offer. To become your successor." Izuku would clarify with a confident smile on his face "I accept."

"Oh...oh…" Toshinori would mumble for a moment as his mind processed what he just heard before suddenly, with a large puff of smoke, he'd transform into his bulky, athletic shape, porting his usual bright smile " **OH! THAT'S GREAT NEWS!"**

Izuku would suddenly find himself being scooped off the floor and twirled around in the Symbol of Peace's grasp as he laughed heartily " **I knew you'd come around, my boy!"** the blond would say as he placed the dizzy teen back down as he patted him on the shoulder " **I mean, you were pretty shaken up about it yesterday, but I'm glad it passed! It did pass didn't it?"**

"Well...kinda…" Izuku said as he straightened himself after shaking the dizziness away "I'm...still scared, I guess...but I know I can do it if I work hard enough!"

" **That you can, young Midorya, I know it!"** All Might would laugh as he suddenly pulled out a stack of papers and pushed it against the boy's chest " **Which is why we are roughing up your workout!"**

"W-What...?!" Midorya stammered as he looked at the new regimes, his legs already quivering at the things that were being asked of his poor self "B-But...the one I'm doing right now is already hard!"

" **Stop reading the last pages! You'll climb your way to those!"** All Might would say with a sweat drop as he patted the boy on the head " **What we've been doing lately was just to get you started, with this new program you should be able to get my quirk for the exam with a few months to spare so you can start getting used to it!"**

"I mean...that sounds good but…" Izuku flinched as he read the sheets of paper...what the hell even was an inverted sit up? And this muscle up thing looked pretty hard to pull off… "I...I can handle it." he'd say with a trembling, awkward smile

But All Might would correct him by flipping over to the first pages, specifically to one that seemed to enter a session called 'footwork' " **Right here is where we're starting, leave the rest for when you're ready."**

"Footwork…? Isn't that a thing in boxing?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Footwork

**Hey there, it's ya boi coming in again with another chapter for this trainwreck. Betcha didn't expected that, huh? HUH?!**

 **But ye, I'm getting shit rolling right now or at least hoping to if I can stop being garbage for a sec.**

 **I've been noticing some people asking why I keep using 'would' so much and there's a very simple explanation for that! I suck! It's a bad habit! I'm trying to iron it out so have some patience with ya boi, I promise I suck like 5% less with each chapter**

 **Oh and bladetri! Yeah, you! Where the fuck is my 'like XD' huh? You post one every chapter, but you missed chapter 7 and now I want it! Please! I need my like XDs to live!**

 **Cringe apart, enjoy the chapter, smash the favorite and follow button like it's on the Switch and post a review, that 100 review mark is looking mad juicy right now so help your local degenerate out**

* * *

Breathe in...breathe out...slowly...let the thoughts flow...

" _Come on, young Midorya, you can do better than that!"_

Don't hang up a line of thought for too long, just let it come...then let it go…

" _Too far again, put some more grit into it, I know you can do it."_

Don't try to block the thoughts...just let them flow freely without being dominated by them…

" _Don't worry about it, young Midorya...I'm sure you'll get it eventually."_

Izuku fell over on his back with a loud grunt as both of his hands fell to each side of his body, fingers digging into the grassy green ground that covered most of the park as he tried to keep his eyes focused on the cloudy blue of the sky as to not have to meet Uraraka's calm gaze that fell upon him as she opened a single eyelid.

"You know, Izuku, you've been really agitated these past couple of weeks." the girl said as she slowly floated past the fallen green haired teen while taking deep breaths to stave off the incoming nausea that was slowly building inside her gut "Something on your mind?"

"Eh, it's nothing…" he waved the girl off with a soft blush as he tried to not stare at her backside too much, something that was quite difficult since, you know, it was levitating right over his face.

"You were doing pretty good at meditation when we started." she added in between another set of slow, deep breaths "If it was really 'nothing' it wouldn't be getting in the way."

Her only response would be a disgruntled grumble from the boy, which wouldn't suffice for the anti-gravity girl as she opened her eyes and turned around to look down at him and give him a couple of pokes on the cheek "Come on! We know each other for a while now, you can tell me!"

"It's nothing much, I swear…" Izuku said while looking away from Ochako with a soft sigh "I guess I just hit a bit of a wall on my training is all…"

A bit of a wall...more like a huge plateau from how long it had been going on. No matter what the teen did, he couldn't let it stop bugging him, that demon followed his every step. He still remembered where it all began, the first day he started that dreaded part of his training.

Footwork.

* * *

" **Alright, now you hold onto this!"** All Might exclaimed as he handed Izuku some kind of strap, it looked like a belt of sorts, except for the fact this one had a rope that connected to another belt, much like the one he had just been handed " **And strap in, my boy!"**

"Not that I dislike your training methods, but…" Midorya said sheepishly as he watched his tutor strap in on the opposite end of the rope with a raised brow of confusion before he shrugged and followed suit, tightening the strap around his waist "I g-guess I just didn't figure out what is this thing for yet."

" **Hah! It is not an issue, my pupil!"** All Might exclaimed with a powerful chuckle as he ruffled the teen's hair before standing straight and flexing his bulging muscles " **I shall explain now! Today we start training your footwork! Now, tell me what you know about the therm!"**

"Well...from my research, footwork is in general the movement you use with your legs, it could be in dodging, controlling spacing, keeping balance, adding momentum to strikes, but not limited to those therms, if I were to ge more in dept with it…" Izuku said as he began to mumble incoherently, spouting martial arts lingo, some of which Toshinori didn't even know. That's the power of Izuku's research and it took a few pokes to the forehead to snap him out of encyclopedia mode. "Oof...I did it again, didn't I?" he asked with a blush

" **It's fine, and you're not wrong, just...unpassionate with your explanation."** the blond explained with a shuffle of his hands, before continuing as he noticed his protege's confused expression " **Personally, I see footwork as more of a dance with your opponent. Every move has a calculated rhythm to it, but also a sensation. Sometimes you can't just dance with textbook moves, sometimes you just have to go with the feeling."**

"That...makes sense." Izuku would nod before looking back down at the rope that kept the two of them connected with a confused muddling in his eyes "But what's this for?"

" **Now that...let me show you…"** All Might would say with his usual bright smile before he suddenly snapped forwards towards the boy, his fist cocked and ready as the teen's instincts kicked into high gear as he screamed, trying to leap backwards out of the way of the punch.

Only to be stopped by the rope. With a few blinks he would notice his teacher's fist a mere inches from his face, stopped just before it hit him before the hand opened to pat his head.

" **See, that's what I want to fix."** The older man would lean down to be face to face with his student " **When you see a hit coming, your first instinct is to get as far out of the way as possible."**

"I mean...yeah, that's what you do, right...?" Midorya would ask sheepishly "No one wants to get hit."

" **You're supposed to get out of the way, but not by jumping back like that. It's a punch, not a bomb."** All Might's gaze would pierce into the green haired teen's eyes, making him gulp awkwardly " **I want to tighten your comfort zone and the closer to you it gets, the more possibilities open up to you!"**

"Tighten my...comfort zone?" Izuku looked up at his tutor with a raised brow

" **Right now you're probably comfortable with a punch being, what? Probably a whole mile away from you!"** he said with a hearty laugh as he stretched his fist out in a very slow motion imitating a punch heading right for Izuku's face. Which the boy would awkwardly lean out of the way of, just like his teacher wanted him to " **I want you to be comfortable with strikes being an inch from touching you, I don't want you leaping away from them, I want you weaving around them, then you'll have plenty of opportunity to capitalize on your opponent's mistakes!"**

"Oh, I get it now!" Izuku said with a smile "That's just how boxers do it, they step out of the way only as much as they have to so they can counter!"

" **Exactly! That's what we're going to train you to do!"** All Might exclaimed with a smile " **And that's what this rope is for!"**

"Huh...oh...oh no…"

" **With this strapped on, you'll always be at arm's reach from me, which means you will be forced to give up your habit of jumping out of the way!"** the blond explained with a big smile " **It is All Might's brute force training techniche! I call it: The American Way!"**

* * *

Izuku's daydreaming would be interrupted by Ochako's nausea coming over her like a trainwreck as she suddenly covered her mouth and was forced to break her telekinesis from herself as she fell down face first on top of the green haired teen with a cute squeak.

Both teens took a moment to shake away the dizziness from what had just happened before letting out an awkward laugh as they proceeded to evade each other's gazes as the color red became more apparent on their cheeks.

"Hehe, oopsie…" Ochako said with a sheepish smile...though she wasn't exactly in a hurry to move as Izuku felt rather nice and...warm.

And on the opposite end, though Izuku knew he should probably help her up and off of him, he'd be lying if he said she didn't look like the cutest thing he'd ever seen from this position and she felt so soft against him, especially a certain part of her that felt rather nice and pillowy against his chest.

"N-No worries...y-you're not hurt, right?"

"Naaaah, naaaaah, pffft, it was like...just a few inches, hehehe…" Ochako replied all flustered as she tried to play it off as a casual thing...yeah, this was casual, just a couple of buds hanging out on top of each other, that's what friends did, they hung out on top of their friends...on top of their...adorable and...unexpectedly toned friends? Was that a six pack she was feeling under his shirt?

"Good….good...that's uhh...that's very good, heh…" Izuku replied equally, if not more embarrassed than the girl as he tried to get a grip and make sure his hands didn't go anywhere they weren't supposed to...even if it was tempting to test how soft it all seemed…

The pair didn't notice, but they spent quite a few moments in that position, just staring into each other's eyes for a seconds, unmoving, not even an inch until…

"Are you guys dating or something?"

Immediately the two of them snapped back and up from the floor, a machine gun of excuses rattling from their mouths 'She just fell' 'We're just friends' 'Nothing happened' 'Oh, look at the weather!', all at once in a manner that was barely distinguishable until the both of them realized who the voice belonged to.

"Tsuyu?!" They would both say in unison, before pointing at each other "You know her?!"

"Hey guys." The frog girl would ribbit, unphased by the entire situation. She was wearing a cute, green summer dress and a pair of sandals, perfect for this sunny day.

"Of course I know her!" the anti gravity girl would pipe up first as she stepped closer to the frog girl with a smile "Me and Tsuyu have been friends ever since we were little kids!"

Tsuyu, however, only gave a slight smile and a nod, while keeping her characteristically fish eyed stare as usual "Yep."

"Oh...that's nice! Small world, I guess." Midorya chuckled as he patted the dirt off of his clothes as he stood back up

"How do you two know each other?" Ochako asked the frog girl, who would bring a finger to her chin in thought for a moment as she recalled the events

"Izuku fell off a rock, then I teached him how to climb it properly."

That was...an answer. Uraraka smiled awkwardly as she glanced at Izuku, who had an embarrassed expression on his face, but still he nodded because, that was what happened...kinda.

"What were you guys doing here?" the frog girl broke the silence with her question

"Oh, me and Izuku are meditation partners! He's helping me with it so I don't get too sick in the stomach from using my quirk."

"And she's been doing pretty great at it, I'm pretty sure you're lasting much longer with it active!" Izuku said as he patted the girl's back, causing her to blush brightly with a smile.

"Heheheeeee…~"

"Cool." Asui nodded before gesturing backwards and out of the park with a blink "You guys wanna head to that cafe nearby? I was gonna stop by there before going home."

"S-Sure, but we probably won't be able to get anything too calo-" Izuku would begin to say before being pushed aside by Uraraka as she threw her arms up with a defying shout

"PIE!"

* * *

"Mmmmmh, this one's even better than the one I had before!" Ochako giggled to herself with a mouth shamelessly filled with pumpkin pie and ice cream, the little devil.

Tsuyu on the other hand, enjoyed herself a milkshake while Izuku, being the lawful dork he was, was having a chicken salad sandwich, one which he had to stress with the waiter to make sure it wouldn't have anything that's make him accidentally cheat on his diet inside it.

"Come ooooooon Izuku, just have a bite of mine! It's heaven!" Ochako would laugh, currently lovestruck with her cheat meal while the green haired young man sweated under his clothes

"I-I'm fine, r-rea-" he would begin to say before being interrupted again by Asui stuffing a forkful of pie into his open mouth. He would complain about it...if he wasn't busy acknowledging how good it was to eat something this sweet after weeks of non stop, calculated diet "Oh goodness…" he'd say under his breath in between chews "Okay, I know how you two feel now!"

After a group wide laugh the trio would relax into idle chatter as they enjoyed their afternoon snack. Nothing like an afternoon among friends to ease off the stress of the day-to-day.

Well...for most of them. Not for one Izuku Midorya, for even now he still felt his mind drifting back to what troubled him.

* * *

" **Keep up the rhythm, young Midorya, you're falling out of line!"** he heard All Might's voice echo out after he got bopped on the face again by his gloved fist.

The symbol of peace never hurt the teen, for that he had to be thankful, he always held back right at the point of collision and merely bumped him. The action didn't hurt, but it pushed him back and after being hit with enough of them, wore him out and left him dazed.

He was doing his best, but it was a struggle as he tried to dodge while at the same time fighting with his own body so he didn't snap back like he used to. Tighten the comfort zone, that was the mantra.

But he was so tired. They had been doing this for an hour now, the second set today and his body was drenched in sweat, legs quivering and his eyes were half lidded and murky as he shook his head every so often to snap his senses back into gear as he was grazed by another punch.

" **I think that's good for today, you're all tuckered out."** the blond hero said with a bright smile as he patted the tired teen's head " **You've earned some rest, young Midorya."**

"N-No...I can...I can keep going." the green haired teen said in between deep huffs as he wiped some sweat off his forehead "Come on, one more set, then we'll call it."

" **Young man, I admire your attitude, but you're too tired. You can barely stand. Training in that state won't get us any results."**

"B-But...I have to! It's been weeks since we started and I still can't do it right!" the green haired teen almost screamed with his trembling voice as he stumbled on his step before forcing himself to rise up straight again "It feels like I'm still on level one...so come on, just one more set….I can take it!"

" **Izuku…"** the number one hero sighed as he searched for the right words to use in a situation like this.

"No! I know what you're going to say!" the boy would exclaim, the tears of frustration starting to build in his eyes as all of the pent up stress finally started overflowing out of the bottle he kept it shut tight inside of "But I have to push myself...if I don't...I need to make it…" the teen clenched his eyes shut to stop the tears from flowing out as he tried to hold a strong gaze in front of his tutor. He had to be strong, like a hero.

All Might would let out a sigh as a puff of steam allowed his form to deflate into his true, weakened self as he stepped forward, raising his hands a bit awkwardly for a few seconds before pulling the young man into a hug as he ruffled his hair "It's okay, young Midorya...it might not seem like it, but you're doing great. You're making a lot of progress."

"Then why does it feel like I'm getting nowhere...I'm doing my best...I'm tired of letting people down…" Izuku finally let his stance down as he hugged the man back, clutching him tightly as he held back tears and just sniffled quietly.

"Some things take time, more time than we wish them to...it's hard, but you just have to respect your own time. You'll get there if you don't give up...but overworking yourself won't fix anything."

"I just don't know what else to do...it feels like by now I should be able to do it right…" the young man pleaded in a quivering voice.

"I know...and believe it or not, I've been through it too...eventually you get it, but until then it feels like it's out of your reach." Toshinori explained as he held the teen in his arms while letting his fatherly instincts take over him "Maybe we can change your training a bit, sometimes you just need to try out something new."

"Something new?"

"Yeah, like...something that might even sound like a bad idea or a waste of time to you. Sometimes the way forward is through a door you thought didn't lead anywhere."

"A-Alright, if you say so...what are we trying?"

"That's for me to figure out and for you to not worry about." the thin, bony man said as he finally let the teen go before patting him on the head with a smile "Now, until our next session I want you to relax, okay? Cut yourself a break, you deserve it."

* * *

"I'm gonna head to the bathroom, be back in a sec!" Uraraka said, her movements as she got up from her seat snapping Izuku out of his trance as he blinked a couple of times

"O-Oh...alright."

That was all that was said before a few seconds of longing, awkward silence was heard, save for the slurps coming from the frog girl as she finished her milkshake. That's kind of what happens when you zone out of half of the conversation like he did.

"Are you and Ochako a thing?" Asui suddenly blurted out in a very blunt manner, as per usual to her.

"W-What..? N-No! We're uhh...we're just friends!" Izuku raised his hands defensively in front of him

"Okay, good." the green haired girl said before going right back to her drink as if nothing had happened, totally ignoring the leftover awkwardness in the air.

"Hehe...y-yeah...why? Were you jealous or something?" Midorya would joke as he tried to break the embarrassment leftover inside him.

"Hnnn...m-maybe." Tsuyu answered with a faint blush without taking her eyes off her glass, which thankfully for Izuku meant she couldn't see his expression of blushed surprise at what she had just said to him as his mouth was left agape

"I-I...w-wha...O-Oh hey Ochako!" he laughed awkwardly as the anti gravity girl walked back to her seat from her trip to the restroom

"So, what did I miss?" she'd ask after sitting down with a sigh

"O-Oh...n-nothing." the boy would say, noticing the occasional glances Asui threw towards him with the faint tinge of red still flaring her cheeks


	9. Chapter 9 - Swing

**Hey you pieces of piss. Merry Christmas! Hope you got a good gift if you were good but if you were a bad boy/girl that didn't smash favorite and follow and posted a review, then just know Santa is gonna fill your sock with gorilla shit**

 **Now, I'm gonna be honest. This chapter was hard to write because I was fighting writer's block and lack of ideas, but it's done, it's here, whatever! In the next few chapters we should be getting to UA, which I know everybody has been having their butts clenched for, so don't worry, papa knows, he's just slow.**

 **As always, if you like it, make sure to press the buttons and leave a review or else I'll diddle you while you sleep**

* * *

"Uhh...All Might?"

"I know what you're gonna say." Toshinori replied immediately with a sigh as he crossed his arms "But you have to trust me on this, it's perfect."

"I mean...I-I can see the benefits of it but…" Izuku gulped with embarrassment as he stared at the pamphlet that had just been handed to him "Can't we do it some other way? I-I can take anything, I promise!"

"Then this should be easy peasy. Come on, it'll help put some spring in your step, loosen you up." the number one hero said with a snicker and a shake of his head "Just try it, if you don't like it we'll try something else."

"B-But…" Midorya attempted to retort again, raise some opposition, but even he knew his tutor's argument was too sound and his own distaste too based on personal bias to give him enough ammunition to come up with a proper challenge

But still….dance classes?

Deku had done research, he knew a lot of athletes did ballet to help with their balance and posture...and part of him was thankful he didn't have to do that instead. Just imagining himself in those tight pants trying to be all flexible and stuff was humiliating enough.

But still, swing dance? Izuku had never seen that pop up in his research before. He would have expected tap dancing sooner than swing.

"No buts. You said you were willing to do whatever it took to get ready to inherit One For All." All Might reminded the boy with a smirk as he hit him with a gentle flick on the forehead "I'm not even asking for you to climb mountains this time, just a simple dance class at saturday, five pm."

"Well…wait, did you schedule a class already?!"

"Yep. I know that means you won't miss it!" his instructor said with a hearty laugh

And dammit, he was right. Now there wasn't any way for Izuku to avoid it anymore. He could postpone scheduling it, leave it for later, that was fine, but the moment the date had been marked down on the callendar, it became responsibility and there was nothing he could do to get around that side of his psyche. Izuku had to go...whether he liked it or not, he had to show up.

"You know, for the number one hero in the whole world...you're pretty evil…" he said jokingly with an awkward laugh as he covered his blushing face.

Izuku Midorya, the dancer.

That was new.

* * *

He had it in his mind the whole day, as he lifted weights, as he did his cardio sets, as he sparred with All Might. It was like he substituted the frustration of his training with the new prospect of dancing as the demon that haunted his thoughts ceaselessly, and someway, somehow the monster of swing dancing was even stronger than the one born of frustration...ugh, his stomach churned with embarrassment just thinking about the whole ordeal.

Now it was friday, he had only one day to prepare himself mentally for tomorrow afternoon. It didn't help that his mom was actually excited about it. Her little boy dancing apparently sounded pretty good in her head.

Izuku sighed as he rose from his bed after the alarm awakened him from a nightmare involving him tap dancing on a stage while everyone in the audience laughed and threw tomatoes at him.

After brushing his teeth and changing into his tracksuit, the boy would eat a quick breakfast before leaving his place carefully not to awake his mother. A morning run was always great for clearing his mind, nothing like tiring yourself out physically to make your mental stop throbbing.

It was a colder morning today, the sky was cloudy and the streets were moist from the rain that had fallen the night before, leaving behind a pleasant humid scent in the air.

Izuku started as he always did, stretching and then being off, one foot after the other. It had become much easier now. He had more stamina, more strength in his legs, more everything and it made him feel good.

The further he went the more he felt his thoughts escape their prison as his mind drifted elsewhere. He thought of himself finally having a quirk, even if it wasn't his. He thought of the day he spent with the girls earlier in the week. He thought of a lot of things, all of which would come crashing down into a halt when…

"Think fast!"

Was all Izuku could hear before his world was enveloped by a storm of noise and brightness, causing him to fall comically to the floor with a yelp as Bakugo laughed his socks off after clapping the equivalent of a flashbang against the dork's face.

"God, you're such a wimp."

Talk about a wake up call, Midorya was still dizzy and confused by the time he rose from the ground, giving himself a few moments to shake his head and escape from his dazzled state as he looked up at his blond classmate. "O-Oh, hi K-Kacchan."

"You really need to watch where you're going, dork. One of these days you're gonna run yourself off a cliff." the spiky haired teen taunted with a roll of the eyes as he scoffed at the green haired boy who was picking himself off the floor.

"S-Sorry...just have a lot on my mind."

"I'm sure you do." Bakugo said with disinterest before immediately brushing the subject off "Tomorrow we're racing again, by the way. And this time I'm running you into the dirt!" he said with a grumble as he turned to walk away almost instantly

"A-Actually...tomorrow I have some stuff I have to do so...I'd like to save my energy."

"What?" Katsuki turned around with a raise brow, almost incredulous that he had just been given no for an answer "You always do the same stuff every weekend."

"Y-Yeah, but...not this time. I'm gonna be…" Izuku sighed before mumbling something incoherent

"What?"

Deku mumbled again, this time a bit louder, but you still could not make out anything he was saying.

"Prancing lemons...?"

"D-Dancing lessons…" Midorya finally said out loud with a minor shudder in his body as he watched Katsuki's eyes squint before a confused smirk sprouted in his face.

"Dancing? You?" the blond snorted "What, is that plan B after your stupid dream of being a hero crumbled?"

"It helps with balance and stuff...athletes do it and all…" Izuku explained sheepishly while avoiding the other teen's gaze "I just thought it could help me too…"

"Pfft, yeah right, athletes do it, sure." Katsuki rolled his eyes with a snicker

"T-They do! That part is true!"

"They do…?" Bakugo's smile faded as his expression turned into one of puzzlement as he grinded the information in his mind "Huh...sure, whatever...monday then. Sound good?"

"M-Monday's fine." Izuku nodded awkwardly

"Alright, see ya." the blond said rather quickly before walking away.

That was...weird. No last insult? No spite? That's not how Kacchan said goodbye to people. " _Maybe he thinks this whole thing is humiliating enough already."_ The green haired teen would think before sighing to himself as he continued his morning run. Now he had even more to think about.

* * *

Okay, this was it then. Just a class, one experimental one that would probably be full of girls with him being the only guy there. But it was fine, Izuku could pull through it, then he didn't have to come back.

The instructions were to just come dressed comfortably so, his usual workout sweats would do the trick. Properly washed and with a nice extra layer of deodorant over him just to make sure he was proper for this whole thing.

" _Why was facing that villain easier than this…?"_

Midorya sighed as he finally stopped in front of the building. The place wasn't too big, it seemed to be on the second floor of a local gym. Kako Kyrui's dance academy, he figured All Might had picked it just because it was in walking distance without much research added to it. At last it shouldn't be a big class, which meant less eyes to stare at him.

Taking a sigh, Izuku found the strength to step forwards into the building...or at least he would have if he wasn't stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a familiar voice call to him.

"The hell are you doing here wimp?!"

And there he was, in all his glory. Katsuki Bakugo, with red in his face and a glare that could murder if you looked hard enough along with a growl boiling under his breath.

"K-Kacchan?!" Izuku exclaimed under pure and raw surprise in his tone as the two stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments before Midorya broke the silent with a sigh "Uhh...this is where I'm gonna...try the dance thing. And you?"

His answer was received in the form of a grumble at first and a reluctant fluster shining in the brute blond's cheeks before he finally spoke "I'm...trying this stupid dance thing too…"

"Y-You...what?" Deku crooked his head like a confused dog as he tried to process the words he had just heard

"What?! Athletes do it and if you're gonna do it, I can't let you get ahead of me!" Bakugo exclaimed as he pointed a defiant finger towards the green haired teen "Yeah, I'm gonna dance and I'm gonna be better than you at it! Now out of my way!" Katsuki said before pushing Midorya aside as he stomped up the steps towards the place where their first class would be taking place.

Izuku couldn't quite figure out if this was a good thing or not for him. In a way, it was a familiar face, which did make him feel a little more at home, but in another way...it was Bakugo's face. And that wasn't associated with comfort at all.

But, enough muddling, with a deep breath he'd straighten himself up and walk up the steps as well.

The inside of the place wasn't far from what he expected. The whole floor was covered in a rubbery, cushioned covering, the room smelled faintly of sweat and there was a total of four ceiling fars running along with some music in the background, a calm tune while everyone got ready for their class.

As expected, Katsuki had found himself a corner to lean on and proceed to fire glared and anyone who dared to gaze at him. Good ol' Kacchan.

As Izuku laid his pack down by the door he took the time to examine the others. His assumptions were correct in that there were more girls than guys, but not by that much. There was still a handful of them there, enough to not make him feel so out of place in the ambient.

They all just seemed...normal after all. Just kids his age, granted some of them had horns, or wings or...bright pink skin and horns, and exotic colored eyes and was headed straight towards him...wait, what?

"Hey! You're new here, right?" the pink skinned girl asked in a loud and cheerful tone as he clasped Izuku's hand and shook it up and down with a smile so bright it could rival All Might's own.

"U-Uhh...yes, actually...j-just an experimental class." Deku answered a bit awkwardly as he shook the girl's hand with a blush.

"Oh, you're gonna love it!" she exclaimed with utmost confidence in her visage "I know guys usually feel all awkward about it the first time, but once you get started you never want to stop! Plus, Kako is a great instructor!"

"I'm sure she is if you say so." Izuku would nod with a smile. There was just something about the girl's innate cheerful demeanor that calmed his spirit and made everything seem alright as long as he was around her.

"Hey, you usually get to pick who you pair with on the first day, but do you wanna be my partner? I promise I'll let you keep up!" she said with a giggle.

Deku nodded with a smile "Sure, that sounds lovely. My name is Izuku, by the way. Izuku Midorya."

"Mina Ashido!" the pink skinned girl introduced herself "Nice to meet you!"

The couple smiled to each other before their attention was pulled away towards a young woman, who exited out of the backroom, dressed in form fitting shirt and pants with her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail that reached down to the middle of her back.

"Alright ladies and gents, let's cut the chit chat and get started!" she said after clapping her hands to catch everyone's attention and then flipping the song in the stereo to something with a little more jive to it, a classic tune from the 50s that just made you want to get up and get moving.

No one lost time once Mrs Kyrui entered the scene, it seemed they were all accustomed to it by now as chatter died down almost instantly and they all stood up and awaited what their teacher had to say.

"Alright, we've got a couple of new faces here today, so let me tell you how we do things. Once class starts only two voices are allowed to pipe up. That is mine and whoever's singing in the radio!" she gestured to the soundbox with a smirk and Izuku couldn't help but snicker at the grumbled frown Katsuki had in his face from being bossed around "I like getting introductions down later when I know you'll be sticking around, so for now, just follow along and call me if you need anything!"

Midorya nodded along as he stood in the back. He still felt pretty awkward, but now that he had gotten the ball rolling it was easy to swallow his embarrassment and just keep trekking through it.

"Alright, let's start with a quick warm up! Head to toe everyone, along with me!" their instructor said as she began their usual warmup routine.

It was actually very similar to what Deku was used to. The motions were targeted, shifting from specific points of the body to the others, making sure it all got warmed up properly, starting from rolling your neck, down to each joint of your arm and down to the legs.

* * *

" **Alright, young Midorya, now get your gloves and let's get started."** All might said after shifting into his buff form as he began to strap his own gloves on, keeping a curious eye planted on the teen's demeanor as he got ready.

There was something new there, the usual constant worry and doubt seemed weaker, he seemed more relaxed in a way, looser.

Or perhaps the symbol of peace was just getting old and seeing things that simply weren't there. Toshinori didn't like feeling old.

* * *

"Alright, now that we warmed up let's start easy." his instructor said as her stance visibly shifted as she began to walk in place, following along the rhythm of the music, the motion was fluid and relaxed, but when Midorya tried to follow along he took a few steps to get used to it "Remember to angle your body forward, not backwards, you're dancing, not marching. Fluid, not stiff. One, two, one, two…"

" _One, two, one, two...don't think too much on it…"_ Izuku said to himself as he slowly but surely fell into a decent enough rhythm. At least the motion felt more comfortable now than it was before for the teen.

* * *

" _One, two, one, two…"_

After they had strapped the belts in, it didn't even take the first jab to be thrown for All Might to see a slight, but yet noticeable difference in his protege's stance. He still held the good and reliable boxing guard he had though him, but he carried it differently now.

He didn't stop moving.

Midorya was shuffling slightly in place at a constant rhythm, always ready to spring out, always ready to turn a gentle shuffle into a dash if need be...which had been something he had been trying to drill into the boy's head for months now.

" **Good stance, young Midorya...let's see if you can hold it under pressure!"**

* * *

"This next one is called touch stepping! It's as the name says. Touch, step, touch, step…" his instructor would explain, demonstrating it as she tapped the floor with the tip of her foot before placing it firmly down "Once you get comfortable with it, try doing to the sides, to the front, back, you can go any direction with it as long as you don't trip!"

Izuku found she made it seem easier than it looked as she just dexterously threw her legs from side to side, moving along in perfect rhythm, but with enough practice he was able to kind of get it down to the sides, though it still looked a bit stiff.

* * *

" **Good one! That's it!"**

All Might smiled even brighter than usual. Midorya had improved a lot. He still wasn't perfect, he was still getting caught every once in a while, but he was dodging a lot more now, proper dodges! Not leaping backwards afraid of the hit, but trying to actually weave in and out as he seemed to use all directions available to him comfortably.

" **Move your head more, remember, that's the target everyone will be going for!"**

* * *

"Triple stepping is a little more complex, but it's all about rhythm people! Once you get into it, it just goes on its own!" she explained as her feet quickly shuffled amongst each other, always three steps at a time, three taps on the floor in between the beats of the music "Do it slowly at first and then speed up, don't rush into it!"

Deku found that advice to be quite helpful as he started slowly at a turtle's pace, dissecting the motions bit by bit until he felt comfortable enough to slowly speed up until he was more of less following suit. It was good that Mina was so good at it, because it meant he could imitate her.

* * *

" **Great form, keep going!"**

All Might missed another jab and it felt great. He was holding back, of course, but still for a quirkless teenager, it was an accomplishment to avoid the punches like he was throwing.

It wasn't just in his dodges, the whole movement of his feet shined in how they weaved with each other. He was shuffling so well Toshinori could not predict where he would move next, at least most of the time. He was getting it down and the best part was that All Might hadn't even taught him that part yet!

* * *

"Kickstepping next, just toss your leg out in between shuffles. And don't love balance or you're gonna look stupid!" Kyrui explained as she demonstrated, every other step of her motions having a quick kick in between.

That was a bit difficult to replicate, but Izuku had some respite in seeing Katsuki struggling as well off to the side, but having to keep himself from cussing.

* * *

All Might almost couldn't believe his eyes. He missed again, but not because Izuku had dodged his attack. The kid had actually fainted a sidestep to make him miss. That was some advanced techniques that he had actually managed to whip out, and he was fast enough with it to make it work.

" **We might have to move onto actual sparring at this rate, young Midorya!"** The number one hero laughed heartily before signalling the teen that the session was over, prompting him to drop his stance in a sweaty, exhausted huff.

"We're wrapping it early today?" Izuku asked as he began removing his gloves while catching his breath with deep respirations.

" **Yeah, I figured you earned some rest with all the progress you've been making."** All Might gave him a thumbs up as he began to stash everything back into place.

"Oh, no, I have swing today." the green haired teen pointed out to the hero's curiosity

" **You're still doing that? Part of me thought you'd quit after a while."**

"You know, I thought so too but...I ended up liking it." the teen shrugged with a smile on his face

* * *

"Alright, good work everyone! Now pair up, let's do some actual practice!" Kako would announce with another clap of the hands, which prompted the pink skinned teen to pipe up and give Izuku a playful flick on a strand of his hair

"You're up, slugger!" she giggled

They had been dance partners for a few weeks now, ever since Izuku joined. They seemed to mesh pretty well and Mina was very fun to hang out with, thought Izuku felt a little awkward about adding yet another girl to his circle of friends, especially with how physically expressive she was. In other words, she liked to give lots of hugs.

"Slugger, huh?" Izuku snickered as the music kicked in and he followed Mina's movements while holding onto her hands with a faint blush on his face

"You do boxing, right? Isn't that how some people call boxers?"

"Heh, guess you're right." Izuku smiled and then had to hold in a laugh as he got a glimpse of Kacchan and how uncomfortable the girl he was partnered with looked as she tried to not look directly into his glare. He was honestly surprised he hadn't quit, but then again, Katsuki wasn't a quitter, be that for better or worse.

"Wanna meet Chacha and Suu after this?" Mina asked with an expressive smile

"You and your nicknames...sure, if they're up for it."

"Nice!" she giggled to herself a little too loudly, which earned her a glare from their instructor "Also, keep your feet closer to the ground...yeah, like that!"


	10. Chapter 10 - Changes

**Hey there ya bastards, I'm still writing this thing for some reason!**

 **My kinda weekly update is a bit late because new year's came along and kept me being a busy boi and I'm also dealing with some writer's block, but what can ya do? Even if it sucks dick I gotta put stuff out, that's the only way to get out of the plateu I think.**

 **But yeeeee, I'm trying to kickstart some things finally, you know, get some action going finally. I know, about fucking time, but I'm a slowpoke when it comes to pacing, and it sucks, I'm trying to get better.**

 **Also, heads up, you guys shouldn't expect me to follow the canon events too closely, as a matter of fact I'm gonna try to add new stuff and change things up as much as I can so that it isn't too similar to the original because then, I mean, you might as well be just fucking watching/reading the original. I want you guys to actually get surprised by stuff when you come read my trash fire.**

 **So yeah, daddy loves you, hope you guys had a good new years and keep those reviews coming or else my life means nothing òuó**

* * *

The pressure in Izuku's mind was making him a wreck. It was a mixture of emotions that stormed within his gut and wrestled against his insides hard enough to make breathing uncomfortable in a way. He was happy, scared and above all, just anxious. Anxious to see what would happen.

Anxious to find out what having a quirk was like.

Today was the day after all. The day his life changed. On a sunday morning, the quietest day of the week. Was that good or bad?

He couldn't stay seated for long, quickly abandoning the ceaseless tapping of his foot on the floor as he lunged up from his seat at the small locker room in All Might's personal gym.

Said gym had a mirror, full body too. Izuku stopped to gaze at his reflection for a few moments before taking a deep breath as he slowly removed his shirt and hook it around his neck before pulling out his phone as he flipped through the pictures. There were some good memories here, pictures he took with Uraraka, Asui, Mina and even some he had taken more or less against Kacchan's will. It made him smile as he remembered the specific days, but there was one in specific he was looking for.

There we go, a picture from about one year ago. A puny, scared looking green haired boy, fear and worry evident in his eyes and a poor, scrawny frame. He would hold the phone out and drift his eyes from the image to his reflection in the mirror, only then did he truly realize the progress he had made. Long gone was that scrawny kid that was lost in the world, now he was different. His smile held a great deal more confidence in it, his gaze was brighter and focused with determination and his body was toned and chiseled with a lean layer of musculature. The only thing that didn't change was his mess of a hairstyle. That thought earned a chuckle from the boy.

This was the reward for all that hard work, all the frustration that made him sleep poorly at night, all of the sweat he had dripped working himself to his limit, all of the things he thought he'd never do in his life he had gone through. It was all for this. For that young man that looked back at him from the mirror.

And he'd be lying if he said that it didn't make him feel good.

Now he just hoped it was enough.

Enough to be a hero, enough to inherit the power of the symbol of peace, enough to be a shining beacon of hope for each and everyone that needed it, whenever they needed it and enough to face All Might today when the time came.

And by the sound of the door being unlocked, the time was right now.

Izuku almost yelped as he quickly slipped his shirt back on and straightened it in front of the mirror as well as attempting to try and get his hair in check...yeah right, like that was even possible, he gave up on that end really fast.

Midorya quickly dashed out of the bathroom to meet the scrawny blond man that had entered the building, carrying in his hand a cardboard tray carrying a pair of disposable cups. "Oh, hey there, young Midorya...when did you get here?"

"O-Oh, a couple of hours ago, I decided to come in a bit early and...you know, get ready!"

Toshinori glanced at the clock on the wall and then slowly brought his eyes back to the boy "It's 6 am."

"Hehe…" Izuku laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head while looking away from the number one hero "O-Okay, maybe I overdid it a little bit…"

"Nervous?" the bony All Might asked as he took a few steps towards a bench by the wall before sitting down and patting the spot next to him

"A little...okay, a lot." Izuku admitted with a sigh as he sat beside the man, his foot immediately going back to tapping the ground anxiously as he took the cup he was offered. "Coffee?"

"Cocoa. I had a feeling you were going to be a little on edge." the thin man flashed him a smile and a thumbs up.

"T-Thank." Izuku smiled as he sipped on the hot beverage, letting the smooth, chocolatey flavor envelop his tongue and the welcoming warmth sooth his nerves, even if just a little bit. "Today is the day huh?"

"Yup!" All Might smile, though soon his expression changed as he put two and two together from the teen's demeanor "I know it's...scary and all, but you'll be fine. The process doesn't even hurt."

"I know, I'm not scared...I'm kind of...excited, in a way." zuku took a deep breath as he straightened himself on his seat "It's like a rollercoaster and I have that cold feeling in my belly when it finished climbing to the top and it's about to go down, you know?"

"Hehe, that's a good analogy." the number one hero patted the kid on the back with a smile "You'll be a great hero, Izuku. I know it."

"Thanks...so, how does this work? Is there some kind of ritual we have to do or something?" the green haired teen pondered aloud

"You just have to eat my hair."

"Whu...What?!"

"You have to ingest my DNA in order to inherit One for All. Hair just seems like the most...hygienic choice." Toshinori explained with a soft chuckle as he proceeded to rip out a stand of his blond mane with a soft wince and holding the shining, golden string in front of the boy's face

"Really? Hair is the most hygienic way you came up with…?"

"Would you rather eat a toenail?"

"Bleh…" Izuku wretched at the thought as he awkwardly took the strand of hair, trying to think of what the best way to eat this thing would be before he rolled it up in his finger, inserted it in his mouth and downed it with a large gulp of hot cocoa...and then another set of big chugs once the line became stuck in his throat "Argh! Ew!"

"Just calm down, it won't kill ya." Toshinori laughed at the teen's reaction before patting him on the head "It won't take effect just yet, you still need to digest it, so give it an hour or so before you start noticing the difference."

"R-Right…" Izuku muttered with another 'bleh' as he shook his head. "Just, wait, I guess…"

Toshinori chuckled as he took a sip of his warm drink before letting off a steamy sigh as he laid his back against the wall "How are you feeling?"

"Weird...part excited and part scared to death, I think?" Midorya attempted to explain with an awkward and nervous laugh "No going back now."

"No going back." All Might repeated with a smile "Hey, grab your gloves, some jabs will knock that crappy feeling out of ya!"

* * *

Breath in...breath out...that's what he was supposed to do...supposed, being the key word here.

"Izuku?"

"Yes, Ochako?" the boy asked without opening his eyes as he attempted to focus on his meditation

"You're frowning again." the girl pointed out with a disgruntled expression as the boy huffed before letting out a long groan as he fell backwards, landing his back against the soft grassy ground of the park.

"I'm never gonna get this down."

"You will, you just have to stop worrying so much about….stuff." the girl tried to reassure her friend with a soft shrug of the shoulders "What is it this time? Something happened?"

"I mean...in a way…" he admitted, trying to wrap his poor, overworked mind around a way to properly explain the situation without spilling all of the beans in the universe. "Um...n-nevermind...I guess I'm just in a bad mood, don't worry about it…"

Izuku would ten feel a soft and warm palm clasp comfortably against his chest while its owner looked down at him with a soft smile that held with it a faint tinge of concern evident in her facial expression "You know you can talk to me, right? If you want, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I know...it's just...complicated...and a little embarrassing…" his words came out slurred and meek as he struggled to open up through the blush on his face as he lifted a hand, looking at his palm as his fingers flexed ever so slightly

"I won't laugh." Uraraka reassured the green haired teen as she slowly clasped his opened hand within her own before gently squeezing it in a comforting manner, earning an even brighter blush from the boy and a large tinge of red in her own cheeks. "Or judge, I promise. You're probably just overthinking it anyways."

"M-Maybe…" Izuku breathed in with a soft sigh as he tried to keep his heart from melting as he locked his gaze with Ochako's gentle and reassuring smile as he finally decided to release the cloudy storm that stirred his stomach "It's my quirk…"

* * *

"Argh…" the green haired teen snarled as he gripped his right arm with a hiss, his muscles constricting uncomfortably as his skin reddened from the intense strain leftover "W-What happened?!"

All Might knew the answer to that. The man took another look at the punching bag, currently snapped lean off of its chain and sent rocketing to the wall where it currently rested with a few small rips in it, letting the sand inside seep out.

"Just calm down, Izuku...here." the symbol of peace patted the teen on the back as he placed an ice bag over the teens arm and proceeded to slowly and carefully remove his boxing glove to expose the strained and twitching hand of his student as he let off a soft sigh "You're lucky your arm didn't get broken…"

"B-Broken? Wasn't the training supposed to make me ready for it?" Midorya asked through clenched eyed as he tried to weakly clench his fist, only to give up on it once it began to hurt too much.

"The training made it so you could hold the quirk, but your body needs to get used to it bit by bit. You can't use it at one hundred percent yet." All Might explained as he pressed the ice against the teen's arm, trying to help him ease the pain as he massaged the strained, reddened and slightly swollen skin.

"B-But...it just came out...how do I even make it not be one hundred percent?!" Izuku asked frantically with a hiss as his arm was fiddled with.

"It's your first time, don't worry so much." All Might attempted to reassure the boy as he patted him on his back with a soft, worried sigh escaping his lips "We still have a few months until the UA exam. Plenty of time to get you used to One for All."

"I-If you say so…" the teen huffed through gritted teeth as he leaned his head back against the wall with a long sigh as he felt the pain in his arm slowly but surely begin to fade bit by bit as the ice nudged it along "I didn't think it would actually hurt…"

"You're going from having no quirk to having one that has gotten stronger through many generations, it's a lot to take in at once." Toshinori explained "You just need to give yourself time to adapt."

* * *

"Izuku...Izuku! You're spacing out again!" Ochako clapped her hands in front of the green haired boy's face to snap him out of his flashback induced trance and bring him back to reality as he blinked a couple of times.

"O-Oh...s-sorry…" Midorya laughed awkwardly with a faint blush on his face as he scratched the back of his head "What was I saying?"

"Something about your quirk." Uraraka reminded him before her expression would transition into one of thought as she prodded a finger against her cheek "Come to think of it, what is your quirk? I don't think you ever showed me!"

"Well, uhh...hehe...how do I explain it…" Deku muttered to himself as the alert sirens started sounding in his head. He had to admit, he wanted to tell Uraraka about it, he felt like he could use at least one person who knew about it that he could vent to...but this was bigger than him, bigger than his desires. He had made a promise to All Might to keep this secret "It's kind of...just a general physical enhancement quirk but...it's a little unique…" he explained with a meek shrug

"I mean, physical enhancement sounds pretty useful and flashy too, which is good for going pro...unique in what way?" Ochako asked as she brought her knees to her best before resting her chin atop them as she gazed over at her friend

"Well...it...it hurts me if I use it too much." Izuku explained, earning himself a raised brow from the girl beside him, making him sigh before continuing the explanation "I can't really explain why, but...it damages my body it I put too much force behind it. I damn near broke my arm the first time I used it...I guess…" he ran his hands through his hair with another sigh "I guess I'm worried about it getting in the way of the exam…"

"Izuku…" the brunette scratched her neck awkwardly as she thought of ways to comfort the teen before scooting closer to him "That does sounds a bit tricky, but you just have to hold back a bit on it, then. I'm sure you can manage." she said with a smile "Plus, I'm gonna be mad at you if you don't make it into UA with me!"

"Heh...don't worry about it, I'm not about to give up on it!"

"Good!" Uraraka clapped her hands together with a determined smiled held proudly on her face "Maybe our meditation can help you out with it. I mean, it helped with my quirk." she shrugged before setting herself back into her cross legged sitting position "As long as you don't let your mind run at full speed, it should help you at least relax."

"I don't know…" Izuku scratched the back of his neck a bit awkwardly "I don't think meditation is for me. I tend to...think a little too much."

"I know that...maybe that's the issue." she said with a reassuring smile "Just try to think less or...think slower."

"Think slower...okay…" the boy said sheepishly with a deep breath

"Still, it's weird that your own quirk hurts you. I don't think I ever heard of something like that before." the anti gravity girl commented as she leaned back in her sitting position "Are you sure that's normal? Maybe you should get checked up."

"N-No, d-don't worry...I'm sure it'll go away eventually...hehe…" Izuku said as a sweatdrop slid down the side of his face along with a nervous gulp "It's just...you know, puberty, I think."

"Well...heh, I guess that is a little embarassing…" Uraraka said apologetically as she playfully jabbed the teen on the arm with a giggle "Come to think of it...it does make a bit of sense. Puberty did make my quirk act up a little as well…" the girl blushed faintly as she remembered the few night she had woken up by landing face first onto the floor after levitation off her bed in her sleep.

"Well...crap, look at the time." Izuku looked at his watch with a grumble as he quickly got up "I have to get going, talk to you later?"

"Sure, you have my number!" the girl smiled as she waved the boy off before going back to her meditation with a peaceful sigh while Midorya dashed off.

Just because he was dealing with the new...ahem...speed bump in his path it didn't mean he could just put his usual training on hold, that would make his life even harder. Right now he still had strength training to get to at the gym and today was leg day. You don't skip leg day, only losers do that.

"All Might shouldn't be there today, I'm pretty sure he had hero work to do, so I'll be able to think of a strategy to deal with the backlash of my quirk while I exercise…" the teen mumbled as he walked, nearly on auto pilot to the private gym "Hmm...maybe it has to do with how I approach it? Maybe I'm putting too much weight in my arm...I can't realistically make one shot count and leave it at that. This is a mess...I need more information about One For All before I can really plan this out…"

Maybe this was what Ochako was talking about, but it was hard for the teen to keep his mind from going a mile a second when so much was changing in his life so quickly. From a quirkless dork to having evident muscle and possibly the strongest quirk on the planet in less than a year...things moved too fast and it was taking a tow in his mental most of all.

He just couldn't stop thinking. About what he was doing, what he was going to do, what he has already done. If it was all worth it, if he could handle it better, there was just so much at stake.

It was thinking so much at once that kept him from spotting the two animalistic looking men at the usual alley where the gym was hidden, one being covered in thick fur while the other had large horns atop his head, their shadows enveloping his body as the teen looked up at them in nervous surprise.

"U-Uhh...hello?"

"Hey kid. Payback's a bitch." was all Izuku could hear before he spotted a smudge of a descending fist coming at him before everything went dark.


	11. Chapter 11 - Captured

**Hey there senpai, it's me again, why don't you return my calls?**

 **Sup lads, hope you had a good week, mine was eh. Ya know, an eh week, nothing tooooo bad but you know, could have been better.**

 **This chapter is one of the reasons why. You know, I wish I could vent to you guys more often than just every update, cause you know, sometimes the updates take long.**

 **You know when you get a good idea then halfway through it you're like "This is fucking dumb" but you already did it, yo have to finish it! This is what's happening here so...hey, it might work, you guys might like it or it might be cancer, I frankly don't know. Tell me what you think of this and I'll decide if I'll do something like it ever again or if this will be the dark time of the fanfiction no one talks about, but I'll try to finish this arc at a reasonable pace, writer's block has been biting me lately.**

 **But yeah, hope you guys like the trash fire as usual. Post reviews or I'm gonna shank you after school. Luigi dab kid out**

* * *

It was a beautiful day outside as Izuku Midorya's alarm clock rang besides his bed, but one hearty smack shut that pesky bugger right up. Izuku had a smile on his face a he wiped the sand off his eyes and slowly stretched on his bed with a sigh.

"Good day to me!" he said to himself as he got up off his bed. The birds were singing outside, the sun was shining warmly down at his humble residence and he was chipper as always as he slipped his feet onto the cool tiles of his bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.

After cleaning up he changed out of his wholesome pajamas into something more proper, it felt good to be back in a dress shirt with a neat vest atop it.

Once he left his bedroom it was like a siren sung to him with a seductive jingle as his nose was graced with the delicious smell of something cooking down in the kitchen. The smell was so good it almost made him float his way down the stairs right up to its source.

"Good morning, Izuku!" Ochako said from the stove top, in a lovely pink dress that was covered by an apron, she had just finished serving a generous stack of pancakes atop a plate with a lovely smile on her face "Sleep well, dear?"

"Marvelously, love!" he chuckled, stepping his way up to the lovely lady in their kitchen as he wrapped his arms around her from behind before planting a kiss right onto her cheek while reaching a hand out for the plate of pancakes, only to have his hand smacked away with a giggle.

"Wait for Tsuyu now, young man, she just went to the garden to pick some fresh herbs for lunch."

"Ah, sorry, sorry…" he said with a snicker as he pulled himself a seat at the table before an adorable pink skinned visage crept from around the corner with a cheeky smirk on her face

"Dooooo I smell pancakes?" Mina said as the whole audience laughed and cheered for her arrival.

"Oh Mina!" Midorya and Ochako said in unison with a laugh as the pink skinned cutie gave the green haired teen a kiss on the cheek as she sat beside him.

"I'm baaaaack!" Asui said as she came in through the back door, carrying with her a fragrant bundle of green herbs in her gloved hands with a cheerful smile on her face "The weather is lovely today."

"Not as lovely as you, dear." Izuku said with a smirk, earning a sassy glance from the three girls.

"Izuku, you romantic devil!" Mina said as she shuffled closer to him

"You know, maybe we should leave breakfast for after a little appetizer." Ochako smirked as she closed in to slowly massage the green haired teen's shoulders.

"Guess I arrived at the right time." Tsuyu smiled as she dexterously climbed and crawled along the table, closing in on her green haired lover as she cupped each side of his head before closing in and...

* * *

Izuku woke up with a jump and an intense huff, a hot blush glaring on his face. He felt warm...why did he have a dream like that? Dammed puberty acting up...especially after...wait, didn't he get punched in the face?

After a few short blinks to refocus his vision the teen realised the true danger of his situation. He had not woken up in the comfort of his bed, in his room filled with All Might souvenirs. No, he woke up in a cold and dusty place, the smell of metal and old rotting wood in the air. His neck hurt from being slumped over an old wooden chair, but once he tried to bring his hand up to comfort it he noticed that he couldn't move it much.

His arms were tied behind his back, to the chair.

"Ugh...what the hell...?" he groaned as he looked around. He couldn't really tell where he was, there were old crated and wood pallets scattered around in messy fashion, easy to trip over. The only light was coming from the piercing sunray that shined down on him from the glass panes on the side. The place looked like it was used for storage or something of the like, but it looked rundown, abandoned.

"Look at this, our sleeping beauty finally wakes up." a growly, deep voice cut through the air like a knife as Midorya noticed a hulking figure coming in through the doorway in front of him.

"W-Where a-am I?" he asked sheepishly as he shuffled on his seat "W-What do you want w-with me?"

The man was a mountain of muscle, shaped like a bodybuilder, but what caught most of the teen's attention was leathery skin and shark-like head that adorned his look "You're at my humble residence for the time being, kid. Isn't it the loveliest pile of shit you've ever seen?" the man kicked an old piece of debris with a scoff before returning his glare to the teen "Feeling good? Hope my boys didn't rough you up too bad."

Truth be told, Izuku could still feel the left side of hi page burning and throbbing slightly from the hit he took "I-I'm okay...I just want to know why I'm here."

"Aww, skipping introductions are we? Where's your manners." the shark man snickered as he leaned close to the teen, Izuku could feel his hot breath against his skin and the stale scent of his breath as he brought his sharp teeth dangerously close to his face "You can call me Karkath, boss man of the Shark Bite gang."

"I...uhh...haven't h-heard of it…" Midorya admitted, which earned him a growl from the sharp toothed gang member.

"Of course you haven't…"

"I'm...uhh...my name is-" Izuku's awkward interruption was interrupted by a snarl from the shark man as he stepped away from the teen.

"You're little Izuku Midorya! I know you and I've been keeping a close eye on you for a while now." the hulking man explained as he pointed a sharp clawed finger straight at him "You got my son, the dumb shit, arrested and I figure it's only right you be my ticket to getting him back!"

"Do I...know your son?" Midorya asked with a nervous gulp after a mild shudder "I think you h-have the wrong p-person!"

"You don't remember him? Big, scaled, too cocky for his own good..."

Deku's eyes suddenly widened as a mental image finally matched the man's description. That guy who tried to mug him on the day he first met All Might. The event that kickstarted everything in his path to one day truly become a hero...he barely even remembered him but...apparently that was what came back to bite him.

"See? You remember! Good, it would be really awkward if you didn't." the man chuckled "Now my son may be a buffon but he's still my son, so I have to get him back...and you'll help me, kid."

"H-How…?"

"By looking like good old frail bait. Ever heard of prisoner exchange? You for my boy, that's the deal I'm gonna throw the cops and you better hope they bite…'cause if they don't, I will." he laughed menacingly before turning away from the teen "Now get yourself comfortable, kid. We'll talk more in a sec."

Comfortable...well, that was all Izuku could strive for at the moment, that and thinking of possible ways to get himself out of this situation. How had this even happened? It had to be the biggest strike of bad luck he had ever had.

Was this what hero life had in store for him? This much hardship?

* * *

With a groan the blond haired pro hero struggled through his next lift, his thin, bony arm's muscles clenching as he pulled the weight up to his shoulder with a sharp exhale before dropping the hold on his arm, letting the member fall loosely to his side "Ten...oof, and to think I used to be able to do one hundred of these without flinching…"

Toshinori was having a good time at least trying to workout his weakened body today. It wasn't like he was about to let his battle scar stop him from doing what he usually did, all it meant was that he had to make the climb into proper physical shape once again. Part of him knew that it was impossible to become anything other than the bony visage he adorned today, but a much greater side refused to accept that reality.

"Come to think of it, where is young Midorya? He isn't one to come in late."

Checking his phone again would get a few rings from the teen's cellphone before it got sent into voicemail, like it had been doing for the past couple of hours now.

"Maybe he's busy with something else...or he forgot the phone at home. Wouldn't surprise me with how many things he always has in his mind at once."

The symbol of peace shrugged as he ran a hand through his hairline with a sigh as he tried to keep his fatherly instincts from making him too worried over the matter.

"Hey, maybe he went on a date with one of those girls. Good for him, the boy needs to live a little."

Toshinori sighed as he glanced at the clock, promising himself he'd wait at least another half hour before calling again, but for now, he had some pushups to do and sweat to break.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this shit…" Bakugo grumbled under his breath as he leaned his backside against the metallic wall of the ascending elevator with a long, sharp sigh.

"I'm gonna beat that dork purple once I get my hands on him…" he said to himself with a quiet snark hidden under his breath.

The nerve on that Deku, making him come all the way here. He knew they were supposed to face off against today. Maybe he got scared and didn't show up...heh, like he'd ever let the dork get away so easily. Katsuki would crush him under his heel before letting him get away like that.

The bastard didn't even answer when he threw pebbles at his window, he had even made a good explosion to to shake the glass, but that didn't work either. He could have made a bigger one, but...people were looking and if they called the police...he didn't care, but mom would give him hell.

The dork probably thought he wouldn't go all the way to his front door to drag him out, well he was wrong! He would go all the way up there and...be polite to miss Midorya! I mean, he couldn't just be mean to someone's mother. Bakugo had beef with the nerd, but he wasn't so unhinged. Especially if she still made those cookies she used to bake when he was younger…god, those were the best, probably why Katsuki even kept Izuku around.

With a ding, however, the opening of the elevator's door would snap the explosive teen out of his chocolate chip fueled daydreaming, his strangely peaceful expression immediately shifting back to the angry 'not to be messed with' look on the face he made sure to hold at all times as he stepped out into the corridor.

Katsuki was pretty sure he still remembered where the dork lived and if not he'd just try every door and tell his neighbors to fuck off.

No, wasn't needed, he remembered this corridor well enough from the time when he was still only half his present height. How sometimes Deku would invite him up to get crushed at videogames, watch those...not so dumb All Might videos or just have a snack. Though, this was probably the only time the young man had ever come here on his own. It was a strange feeling that Bakugo couldn't decide if he disliked.

"This one…" the boy mumbled to himself as he stopped in front of the door he remembered. Second one closest to the corridor's window. That had to be it.

With a deep breath he slowly raised his hand towards the doorbell. Frankly, he hated feeling this awkward for reasons he didn't even understand. Was it because he was being subjected to come knocking on the dork's door? Because it had been so long since he was here? Because he had to see miss Inko again?

His hand suddenly froze about an inch away from the door bell button as he heard a muffled sob coming from behind the door. The sound immediately making the teen's palm recoil as he took a step back, his expression shifting into one of unsure surprise before he head the sounds of other voices. Too muffled to understand the conversation that was happening behind the closed door.

Katsuki stared at the doorway for a few moments before groaning quietly as he approached it again, feeling slightly shameful of doing what he was doing, but still he brought his ear to the wooden surface of the door, pressing it against it as the muffled mumbling he heard before turned into proper words he could listen to.

"...we'll get him back, miss, but you need to be calm."

"H-How can I be calm...they took my Izuku!" he recognized Inko's voice, quivering and shaken from the evident tears she was shedding.

"We have the situation under control. They were stupid to demand the police get involved. The worst that can happen is we actually do the prisoner exchange and your son still comes back safe and sound."

"How could you know...d-do you even know where he is?" the frightened mother asked

"We...can't be sure. We heard rumors that they were holed up in an old warehouse near the bridge and we have officers keeping watch at the place, but until we know for sure they're there it's best to not let them know we have info."

"C-Can't you just c-check? If Izuku is there then...you and the heroes can…" Inko sobbed

"Mam, we're doing all we can to ensure your son's safety. If we just kick their door down they might hurt him. Just let us handle this, okay? We know what we're doing."

Katsuki took a step back from the door, his eyes widened out before they squinted awkwardly as he wobbled slightly in his stance.

" _Deku was...kidnapped?"_

So that's why he hadn't come…

Bakugo felt weird, like a strange knot had just appeared in his stomach as he leaned his back against the wall of the corridor as he took some deep breaths.

He shouldn't care this much about the stupid dweeb...but if that idiot got himself killed then how could he prove he was better? That was business he really didn't want to leave unfinished...yeah, that was it.

"Dammit…" he grumbled to himself before stomping his way back to the elevator and riding it down. He needed to take a walk, eat something, just anything to take his mind out of this stupid situation. So what Izuku got kidnapped? Suits the stupid nerd, always getting himself into trouble, always fucking up and leaving him to pick up the pieces.

In fact, he would probably have to bail him out of this one too! He was pretty sure he knew the warehouse they were talking about! Maybe he should roll up there and show Deku how much stronger he was by kicking the kidnapper's asses!

Eh...then again…

Katsuki had a hubris, but he wasn't stupid. He knew it was way too risky for him to go up against who knows how many adult criminals on his own. They wouldn't play fair...dammit.

"Whatever! Who cares!"

He cared, the chance to go up against some real villains and humiliate Deku by saving his ass? It felt disgusting to pass a chance like that.

That was all there was too it.

Yep.

Reaching the park the explosive blond sighed as he watched the movement idly, just letting his feet lead him to wherever they wanted to go.

Something about this whole thing just didn't feel right.

Just letting the police and the other heroes sort this out was the right thing to do and he shouldn't care too much about it, it was just Deku after all but...it felt like a loss for some reason. And Katsuki Bakugo doesn't lose.

He growled under his breath as his mind raced, thinking of possibilities, things he could do. He didn't know who had took him, or what they could do, so as much as he wanted, going there all by himself was...a dumb idea.

He needed…

He...he needed…

Ugh, just the thought of it made him angry.

Bakugo needed help.

And not just any help, capable help, so those dweebs that used to follow him around when they were little wouldn't cut. He needed people who could pull their weight and that wouldn't panic when they heard the situation.

Katsuki's expression was stern as he figured it out with a click of his mind after he spotted a certain group of girls sitting at a bench just hanging out. He remembered them and right now, they'd have to cut it.

The blonde approached Ochako, Asui and Mina a tad awkwardly before coughing faintly to attract their attention.

"Yo, you're friends with Deku, right?"


	12. Chapter 12 - The Warehouse

***Pops confetti***

 **We did it guuuuuuuuuys! Past the 100 review mark! That goes to show you that no matter how much you think you suck, people still eat it right up! I'm joshing ya, seriously, thanks a ton for all the support I've been getting, it really does some good for my ego.**

 **But yeah guys, I think I got my swagger back because this chapter was much easier to write! See ya later writer's block! Daddy's back in business and the garbage fire is fuckin roarin!**

 **Continuing from last time, it seems to be more popular than I expected, so keep hitting me with that feedback so I know if I'm fucking up and all.**

 **And even if I'm not you better fuckin smack that review button and at least tell me what your favorite food is or something because that's what friends do. My favorite is lasagna.**

 **Dab.**

* * *

"I hope you don't think I take any pleasure in this, kid." Karkath said as he paced around Izuku's makeshift prisoner room as the teen couldn't do much but just glare at him with tired eyes as he walked from one side of the room to the other while he chomped down on a sandwich "It's just the way of the world. Me? I'm just trying to get by."

"By kidnapping people…?" the teen asked with a grumble. He couldn't believe that he was being this confrontational himself in a time like this...but it had been hours since he was stuck in this room. His stomach growled, his lips were dry with thirst and the lack of ventilation made the whole place hot as a sauna. All of which combined dug at his nerves as he eyed the sandwich the shark took large bites out of with desire.

"Believe it or not, some people aren't as fortunate as you, kid." the criminal snickered as he brought his predatorial gaze towards the green haired young man as he ran his tongue over his sharp teeth "I wasn't born to a nice medium wealth home in a nice neighborhood with a mommy that pampered me."

"Is that supposed to work as an excuse?" Midorya retorted with a sigh as he straightened his back to look up at the shark defiantly, something that was hard enough as it was. His neck was killing him from being tied up in such an awkward position for so long.

"Hmm...looks like the puppy still has some teeth." the sharkman chuckled before taking another bite out of his snack "Say kid, what do you wanna be when you grow up? You look like the the type who dreams big! Astronaut? President? Maybe Pro Hero?"

Midorya hated the dumb smirk the man had on his face, that sharp and mocking toothy smile that held in it an air of humiliation left the teen boiling with silent anger as he refused to answer the question.

"Pro Hero, huh? I can see it in your face. Tell you what, I also wanted to be a hero when I was a pipsqueak." he commented as he stepped closer to Izuku before leaning down until he was face to face with the boy again "And it wasn't just some dumb pipe dream. I worked for it." the shark said as he tapped a clenched bicep with his palm "When the other guys were sleeping, I was working. When the other guys were eating, I was working. Hell, I was working before you were even born!" the shark exclaimed with a tinge of pride clearly evident in his voice.

"Sure...is that why you're holding a kid ransom? Doesn't s-seem too heroic to me." Izuku retorted as he looked away from the man with a shaky sigh, starting to think it would be best if he just bit his tongue already or else he might return home with a few bits bitten off.

"Hah! Typical wannabe hero dork." the sharkman shook his head with a toothy smile as he poked the green haired young man on the head to draw his gaze back onto him "It's because I didn't make it through the exam. The other kids got in through recommendation, or they had better quirks or they just plain got lucky. That's how heroes are made, kid. It ain't none of that inspirational mumbo jumbo about having a heart of gold and be willing to fight for justice or whatever. It's about who looks better in the media and who's daddy can pull some strings to get 'em in. And in the hero world's eyes, some shark faced misfit just wasn't hero material."

Deku felt ashamed for feeling so...understanding of Karkath's little tale. His eyes locked themselves down to the floor as he tried to ignore what his kidnapper was trying to tell him. Ignore how much it made sense. He understood the sensation behind that tale perfectly, the frustration, the feeling of hopelessness, the unfairness of it all, he understood it because he had gone through it all.

"The world isn't a fair place kid, quirks don't change that. In fact they only make it worse." the shark said as he held the latter half of his sandwich towards him, offering the teen a bite "You may think I'm everything that's wrong in the world, but at the end of the day, I'm just a step away from those people you call heroes."

Izuku turned his face with a frowned grumble of disdain evident in his visage. He didn't want to accept it, these notions, even if it meant starving for a while longer as his stomach still growled and grumbled incessantly.

"Suit yourself, kid. I'm sure you're making a righteous stand and really showing the bad guy who's boss by starving." the sharkman scoffed as he raised his nose at the teen before chomping the rest of the snack down in a single massive bite before wiping his mouth clean of any leftover sauce with the back of his hand "Shame, that was damn good too." the marine predator laughed as he turned away from the boy, leaving him to sulk on his own in the hotbox of a room they had him in.

Izuku's eyes were glued to the floor as he tapped a foot down anxiously against the concrete floor below him.

" _He's just trying to get into my head…"_

I mean, what else could he be doing? He wasn't honestly trying to have a heart to heart, villains didn't do that...did they?

" _Villains...they're people too…"_

They were. They had their worries, they got stressed about things and they had hopes for the future, didn't matter that they had succumbed to villany, they were all people just like him, just like anyone else...sometimes it was easy to forget that.

Midorya didn't hate Karkath, he was just a small time villain, just a...person that was struggling. Well, he disliked him for putting him in his current position that was for sure. What Izuku hated was how much he could relate to the sharkman.

That sensation of frustration as he told his tale, the desperate fire in his eyes, the anger and sadness that tried to lash out of him just by thinking about it and above all the indignation he sometimes let slip out of him for this world for how unfair it could be.

Maybe Karkath wasn't wrong...maybe if All Might hadn't found him that day, hadn't took him under his wing and showed him that it was possible...maybe he would have went down the same road...maybe there was another kid out there like him that won't have the same luck as him…

Izuku felt the tears begin to build behind his eye sockets as he closed his eyelids shut to try and hold them back. This wasn't a time to get existential and cry, he needed to do something...like...uhh

His thought process would be rudely interrupted as he heard a muffled explosion piping its unrelenting sound wave through the metallic door to his room.

Okay, he needed to get free from these straps. Now.

* * *

 **5 minutes earlier…**

"I just want to say that I still think this is a bad idea." Asui added as the group of teens hopped over the backside fence of the old and rundown warehouse. Each landing down on the dusty dirt floor with a thud as their feet touched the ground.

The current Rescue Squadron was composed of Katsuki, Ochako, Tsuyu and Mina, all of which got both surprised and somewhat scared as the blond invited them for operation Save The Dork's Useless Ass so I Can Kill Him Myself Later...well, Bakugo came up with that title, the rest of the group thought it was better to leave the name pending.

"You said that like fifty times already and I already told you, if you think the idea is so bad then you can just scram. I invited you out of courtesy!" Katsuki snarled at the frog girl with a heated glare, which made her grumble and roll her eyes.

"I know the idea seems bad Tsuyu but...come on, it's Izuku...we have to do something." Ochako piped up. The girl was clearly worried about the green haired boy and seemed to be the most determined to make this work, perhaps even more so than Bakugo himself.

"Okay, so, go over the plan again." Mina said as she grabbed a handy stick off the ground and began drawing figures onto the sand.

"Here's how we do it: Tsuyu climbs around the outside of the warehouse to scout all the place and figure out where all the bad guys are. Once we know that, Uraraka floats Katsuki to the roof and then to the ground while I run distraction at the front door. Once you two find Izuku, Bakugo blasts a hole through the wall and we book it out of there safe and sound while the bad guys end up looking like big dumb butts! Then they go home like 'Boo Hoo, we lost our hostage to a bunch of kids' and we're like 'Yaaaaaay, now we're gonna celebrate with ice creeeeam!'"

Mina ended her drawing by making a figure of the whole group eating ice cream around a big round table with smiles on their faces. Which earned her a good few seconds of stares from her group.

"...I still think we should just bust the door down and I kill everyone in there." Katsuki finally broke the silence

"If you could really do that, you wouldn't have asked for our help now, would you?" Asui piped in with a cheeky smirk as the explosive blond rolled his eyes and simmered in his anger.

"Guys, focus. Mina's plan makes sense...mostly. Does everyone agree with it?" Ochako asked, receiving nods from all parties involved "Alright, then let's kick it into gear. Tsuyu, you're up!" she exclaimed, patting the frog girl on the back.

The green haired girl sighed and shrugged as she turned to face the outside wall of the warehouse "I still think it's a bad idea…" she commented, but still hopped on and latched onto the metallic surface of the warehouse's outer shell.

Even if Asuiu wasn't a fan of the current plan, she executed it with utmost texterity, climbing her way up the wall like it was second nature to the girl, because it kind of was at this point. With a long hop she could already be halfway up the wall and the latter half would be quickly climbed by through the girl's swift crawling along as she moved herself to one of the building's windows.

The rest of the group waited anxiously for the news until the frog girl held up two fingers, indicating she could spot two people inside.

"Alright, that's less than we expected, should be easy peasy!" Mina smiled as she cracked her knuckles.

* * *

Mr Burke was a simple man.

Yes, he was a criminal, part of a dangerous gang that had currently kidnapped a young teenager for some crazy hostage trade situation, but besides that, he considered himself a rather simple fellow.

He liked to watch reality shows on television, he thought politics were too stressful to dabble much in them, he collected bottle caps in his spare time and he loved, and I mean absolutely adored girl scout cookies.

So you can guess why is it that this hunk of a bull horned man was currently entertaining a pink skinned girl at the door of his hideout with a cart full of cookies, which all just looked like the perfect sugary treat he needed right now to take him off the edge.

"...Oatmeal, mint, chocolate chip, peanut butter, you name it, sir!" Mina engaged the scary looking man with an unwavering smile and her cheerfully captivating demeanor.

"Do you have caramel?" Burke asked in his deep, gruff voice that sent a faint shudder up the slime girl's spine as she laughed a bit awkwardly before taking a box in hand.

"Yup! Caramel! Right here!"

This was going well, better than she had hoped, she had this guy hooked like a fat fish chewing on a worm and right as she was reeling him in…

"Burke! The hell are you doing, man?!" another voice called from behind the horned criminal, who turned around with a glare

"Piss off, I'm busy."

"The boss said no opening the door to anyone! The cops might see us!" Mina would hear before a pair of furred hands attempted to close the door forcefully, though the bull of a man wouldn't budge a single inch.

"Well the boss brought a big ass sandwich with him. No one told me this would take more than a couple hours so I didn't bring lunch." Burke eyed his furred companion down with a frown "I'm hungry."

"This ain't about being hungry man, we got a whole operation here!" the other man said from inside the building

"Want me to ask her to come in?"

"No, that's even worse! Just tell her off!"

"I'm not telling her off before I get my caramel cookies." the bull man said bluntly as he turned to face Mina once again "I'll take two boxes."

"Well...uhh...actually, we have a promotion where if you buy three the third one goes for half the price!" the pink skinned teen replied, which seemed to get Burke in a thoughtful mood as he leaned his head back with a mumble, seeming to count something on his fingers, though having trouble with it.

"I can't believe you're doing this for some stupid cookies…" the furred man grumbled as he tried to close the door again, though to no avail

"We've been sitting in that room for hours, it's hot in there, it smells like mold and I'm hungry. I'm not missing this chance." the horned man answered plainly as he went back to counting before the furred man sighed and slowly crept from around the door to glare at Mina.

"Hey kid...uhh...ya got lemon zest?"

Watching this whole exchange unfold, however, were a pair of police officers in a disguised car, their mouths agape as they watched this little girl just expose the whole criminal operation to them.

"Holy crap that's them!" one of them said as the other one slowly reached for his radio to call for backup.

* * *

"Looks like Mina has them distracted! It's you guys' turn now!" the green haired teen announced to her friends.

"Alright Bakugo, we're up!" Ochako said as she placed both hands onto the explosive teen's shoulders and then proceeded to hop onto his back, much to his dismay.

"Why did I agree to this again…" he grumbled under his breath with a sigh before flexing his knees and jumping upwards.

Uraraka then activated her quirk, the two of them being enveloped in a pink hue as gravity was lifted off of them, leaving only the upward momentum from the teen's jump leftover bringing them slowly to the roof of the building.

Landing was,,,mostly smooth, though Bakugo did bump his stomach on the corner of the roof, which left him much more irritated than before, even as Ochako pulled him up to the surface of the ceiling and deactivated her anti gravity quirk.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't lose focus. We gotta find the dweeb." Katsuki snarled as he rose back onto his feet before gesturing a few meters in front of them "There's a loose roof tile over there, we can use it to get in."

"Right."

The two teens carefully made their way through the roof of the warehouse until they met their mark, the loose tile that was left slightly crooked, letting the sunlight seep into the interior below. Ochako quickly leaned down against it to peek inside before bringing her head back up with a thumbs up.

"There's a railing just below us, I can float us down so we don't make any noise."

"Sure, let's just be quick, I hate this already." Bakugo complained as he pulled against the tile, sliding the opening wider until they could both fit through.

Once again, Uraraka hopped on the blonde's back to make the process easier and they would gently fall down, like a plume in the wind, to their destination, a metallic railing that served as a second floor to the building's interior.

"Damn, this place smells so old and musky…" Ochako said quietly as she plugged her nose.

"Suck it up." Bkugo said plainly as he crouched down and hid behind one of the old crates before the old, rusty creak of the door pulled his attention to the front of the building "Shit, looks like your your friend did all the distracting she could. They're coming back."

Indeed they were, the pair of goons, each carrying three boxes of girl scout cookies in their arms casually drifted back to sit atop a crate as they began eating their treats and idly conversing about whatever a hard working criminal talks about.

"Wait, are those real cookies…? Where did she even get all of those?" Katsuki raised a brow

"Eheh...apparently they're from her personal stash...I think she's a bit of a sweet tooth." the anti gravity girl shrugged her shoulders as an answer as a vein bulged atop Bakugo's forehead

"Why didn't she poison them or...put something in them to knock them out!?" he snarled a bit loudly.

"Hey, she's a sweet tooth, not a-Oh no…" the girl stammered as she covered the angry blond's mouth before gesturing downwards towards the two animalistic men on the lower floor, who were looking up at their railing.

"The hell was that noise?" Burke's voice echoed throughout the room as he glanced up, thought seemingly unable to spot the two intruders just yet.

"Eh, probably just a racoon or whatever." the furred man said before stuffing another cookie into his mouth only to be pulled by the ear off his seat and pushed away by the horned criminal, qho frowned at him with a scoff.

"Go check it out."

"Are you serious, man?!"

"Now."

With a grumble the furred one turned to make his way to the stairs that led up to the railing, complaining all the way up.

"Dammit...move! And keep quiet!" Uraraka finally let go of Bakugo's mouth as she quickly, or as quickly as she could manage without making noise, made her way along the railing with Katsuki following behind, a quiet growl hidden under his breath for just having been ordered around by some girl.

The two of them made it to the other end of the railing just in time to duck out of the criminal's line of sight as he came up, looked around lazily and then leaned over the edge of the railing to call down "See, man? There's nothing!"

"Phew…" Uraraka giggled quietly as she tried to steady her hearts incessant thumping from the minor rush of adrenaline she had just gotten "Close call."

And then a loud metallic crank was heard along with a sudden drop worth a few inches that made the pair look at each other and emit the same sound at the exact same time.

"Shit."

The warehouse was old, and the railing was rusted to the core, it seemed like it hadn't had someone atop it for years and now that it did, it couldn't hold the weight atop it as it began to break down and fall, sending the duo on a tumble towards the ground as the two criminals looked up at them in surprise.

"Screw it! Now we do it my way!" Bakugo's voice cut through Uraraka's screaming he controlled his fall, raising a hand towards the pair of goons below with a wicked smile plastered onto his face "DIE!"

* * *

The blast was loud, too loud to have been an accident. Something was happening and it gave Izuku a very bad feeling.

But he couldn't get out there when he was tied up here...unless.

Unless he used his quirk.

He had been avoiding the thought for a while now, I mean even if he did break out he would have probably hurt himself in the process and then it would have been three against one, the chances of actually escaping were very low so he figured it was better to save his energy, but now...he had no choice.

Even if he broke his arms, he had to free himself, there were no two ways about it.

"Alright...don't do it all the way, just enough to break the rope…" the teen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sounds of the commotion outside as he reached deep inside of him for All Might's power and slowly but surely he began to pull his wrists apart against the rope.

"Careful...bit by bit…"

It required a lot of focus, he wanted to avoid breaking himself if possible as he tried to slowly ramp up One For All, gritting his teeth as he felt the burning sensation of the ropes digging into his skin, leaving a stinging red bruise on it, but he had to just push through it, suck it up, if he lost concentration he'd have to work with a pair of broken arms and that wasn't feasible.

Slowly but surely, he reminded himself of his time meditating with Ochako. Think less, think slower, let it flow until…

The rope snapped.


	13. Chapter 13 - Shark Tank

**Hey kids, papa's back**

 **Hehe, this one is a bit late, I know but a few things got in the way. Firstly it was a difficult chapter to write, loads of action scenes and all and secondly I'm sick! I got a cold! But I managed to pull through to deliver this before the weekend is over.**

 **Now let me have a heart to heart with you about this little 'experiment', because what I wanted to get out of this is whether or not my readers would like me to add onto the story with my own non-canon villains, I have a few more planned but if you guys don't like it then there's no point ya know. Karkath was kinda like the trial phase for that since he's not too big of a baddie and not too relevant to the major story in a way, soooo I know I tell you guys to review and all as a meme at this point, but this time I'd really like to know your opinion so I can decide how I'm gonna go forward with the story. Keeping in mind, even if I do more custom villains and heroes, it'll still feel like a story set in My Hero Academia, the world won't be alien to you, it'll be just new and...you have to trust me not to fuck it up!**

 **But yeah, smash like, smash the review button, eat some curly fries and I'll try to get healthy again so I can get my writing back in schedule!**

* * *

Izuku hissed, biting down on his lower lip to contain his pain as he gripped his forearms, both of them bright with long red bruises from the ropes digging into the skin in a painful burn. But they were not broken, that was the important part.

"Okay...now the actual hard part…" the green haired teen said to himself as he rose from his seat on the old wooden chair and rushed over to the doorway to place an ear against the metallic frame.

He could hear commotion outside, things being thrown around, muffled voices and the continued sounds of explosions...it couldn't be...he wouldn't try something so stupid...but the thought of it opened a hole of worry inside Midorya's stomach. Now he had to get out of here even more so than before.

With a deep breath he slowly creaked the door open to peek outside only to quickly close it and back away as he heard the heavy thumping of stomped footsteps approaching his prison room.

" _Dammit, there's nothing to hide behind…"_

And fighting wasn't exactly an option. A kid with a quirk he didn't know how to use against a grown man twice his size who probably had a lot of violent crimes backed up in his record. Yup, Izuku knew who'd he bet on.

He'd only have a moment to spare, most likely, but he could try the shadows...no, it would only take a glance off to the side to spot him.

Okay, he had to go offensive, despite how much the idea made him shudder. It was simple, just push past the door as soon as it opened and run, hopefully whoever was behind it would be surprised for long enough to not follow him right away.

" _It's a bad plan, but I don't have a better one!"_

With a huff the teen got ready behind the door, listening for the sounds as the thumping of feet upon the ground became harder and louder "Where's my damn hostage?!" he could hear Karkath bellow and he didn't seem to be in a very good mood.

He waited until the last second, and right as he witnessed the door begin to move, he lunged forwards, pushing past it as the metallic frame hit the sharkman and made him stumble backwards a step as he rushed out, telling him how stupid of an idea this was in the first place.

As he stepped out through the door he had a few seconds to access the general area. This place was dustier than even the little room he was put in, but due to how close it was to the plastic tiled roof, it explained the heat. It didn't seem to be too big, so it didn't extend to the entirety of the warehouse, it seemed like it was some kind of cellar, with many old boxes and crates scattered around and...a hatch! That was his way out, either that or jumping out the window, but he didn't like his chances of landing safely.

With spring in his step he sprinted forwards, not daring to look back to the most likely incoming shark as he just focused on being as fast as his months of morning runs could take him before sliding down across the dusty floor to reach down and open his escape route…

Or he would have, had it not been currently locked shut with a beefy padlock in place.

It was like his heart had skipped a beat and as he slowly turned his vision to the sharkman he saw him dangling a key from a finger with a frown on his face "Gonna need this, kid. I'm not dumb, I believe in safekeeps."

"Oh no…"

"And right now, I need you to play nice and come with me, it seems like someone found us, and I'm hoping if it is the police they'll play nice if we show your scrawny little face to them." Karkath spoke as he cracked his knuckles, slowly stepping forward towards the teen who rose up on shaky legs as he looked around for any other options.

"Come on, you don't wanna hurt yourself now, do you? I ain't against sending you back with a little damage." the shark bared his teeth.

"I'm...I'm not going with you." Izuku answered with a shaky, but determined breath as he raised his hands in front of his face in a boxing stance while slowly stepped his way back from the approaching criminal.

"And what are you going to do? Fight me? A scrawny little kid like you?" Karkath laughed with a shake of his head "Come on kid, I might not be above hurting someone like you but it doesn't mean I like it. Don't make my day any worse than it already is!"

What was he doing? Why was he standing up to this man? He could probably snap him in half if he tried hard enough...but no, Izuku couldn't play in his game, if he went down, it would be with a fight, he just had to get clever.

And at the moment getting clever meant making a shot count. He couldn't just use his quirk, at least not all willy nilly since he'd hurt himself. That meant he only had one shot at this. One shot to take Karkath down however he could, but...that required set up.

A smile forced itself onto his face as he shuffled from side to side, a spring in his step as the kid got ready to dance "C-Come on, fishface. Don't tell me you're afraid of a little boy."

* * *

Katsuki Bakugo wasn't currently happy with his predicament, having his wrist held by the mountain that was Mr Burke, the bull horned criminal as he glared down at the kid.

His blast had knocked the other furred one away, but this guy just too the hit without moving, the teen could see the black char and the burn marks leftover on his firearm from just pushing through the blast, but the man didn't seem to care about the pain he was most certainly feeling.

No, Mr Burke was silent, no taunts, no cocky smirk, just the professional frown on his face as he cocked his fist back and used it to deck Bakugo on the face, sending him skidding across the floor before landing with a thud with a bloody lip.

Immediately rushing to his aid, Uraraka knelt down to help the teen up, only to have her hand swatted away as Katsuki forced himself to stand with a growl ringing under his breath as he glared at the minotaur.

"Hey girl...whatever your name was…I'm gonna need some help with that guy." it almost hurt the teen to admit, but it was the truth. Burke wouldn't just take any blast to take down.

"W-What do you need me to do?" Uraraka replied, worry set in her tone as she glanced at the criminals, especially at the furred one getting back up and shaking the dizziness out of his head.

"Ugh...I feel like a truck just hit me…" the furred criminal wobbled for a moment before slapping each side of his face to snap himself out of his stunned state as confusion turned to irritation as he turned his eyes to glare at the two teens "You little brats!"

Ochako didn't have enough time to process the situation before she was shoved off to the side by her explosive partner, which in the process let her avoid the rush of the furred freak that charged at them with his claws bared "I'm gonna make mincemeat out of you for that!"

"Yeah right, fur ball, get real." the teen growled under his breath, his fingers twitching as a couple minute pops went off in between his fingertips. Everything was just aching to explode right now, but Bakugo couldn't just waste it, he had to build up his sweat for a big one if he hoped to take the horned one out.

Instead he had to play dance with this dog looking bastard, dodging swipe after swipe, side to side, back and furth. The evil doer didn't have much when it came to intellect, clearly, but what he lacked in gray matter, he seemed to make up for with speed.

Speed that was hard for Katsuki to keep up with as he winced in pain as his arms began to bleed from the minor scratches that caught him despite his best efforts to avoid them.

But something was starting to feel wrong, he was wasting too much time dancing with this hyperactive chihuahua, and it was keeping his attention away from the real danger that was the one with the horns...who was currently charging at him horns first. Okay, this was bad!

Katsuki made his best effort to push the furred bastard away in time to roll away from the charger but the bull headed criminal was simply too fast for his size. The air was knocked out of Bakugo's lungs as he was hit by the bastard head first, his horns going to either side of him, missing his body by an inch and locking him between the hard head of the criminal and the wall he was subsequently slammed against.

The impact momentarily knocked him out of his senses, taking him a couple of seconds to come to once again and immediately attempt to pry himself free from his prison, but the bison was like a statue, unmoving, refusing to budge an inch.

"Now why don't you settle down there, boy?" Burke grumbled from his bent down position as he crossed his arms "You should be thankful, if it weren't for me my friend there would have probably turned you into a scratching post."

"Shut up!" the teen retorted as he brought his fist down against the man's head repeatedly, the act only making his hand hurt without doing much else to his enemy.

This wasn't optimal, but he was going to have to blast him now. He wanted to build up a bit more sweat for it and to have caught him in a more vulnerable position, but destiny apparently had a different idea to how things would be dealt with.

And he would have done his best to blast the bull's head off, had the sound of breaking glass not pulled his attention away as towards the window to see a frog-like girl with a blur of pink skin wrapped around her neck busting into the scene.

"What's happening there?! I can't see from here!" Mr Burke complained in vain

For once Bakugo didn't have time to plan around what happened as the girls seemed to have their own plans in mind. It was impressive really, like clockwork.

"What the hell, what's happening?!" Burke's voice sounded off with a frightened tone backing it as the explosive teen saw his legs floating off of the floor with a pink hue of light as Uraraka finally managed to get away from the furred criminal to touch Katsuki's assailant, though it wasn't without getting a few scratches across her skin herself.

Next came the long and slithery tongue of Tsuyu, which wrapped around his body tightly as a rope followed by a slimy spray of slippery fluid that felt disgusting against his skin, but helped his come loose from his position. Truth be told, he didn't need to think much as he raised his hand out to Ochako, grabbing her and taking her along for the ride as they were pulled away to the other side of the warehouse and closer to his friends.

A symphony of quirks, each playing off to another's strength...something that gave Bakugo quite the idea for how he was gonna deal with this.

* * *

Izuku was having a hard time trying to avoid the shark man in the little locked shark tank he found himself stuck with.

Running from side to side, jumping and sliding over crates to make some distance only for the shark to smash right through and stomp after him while Izuku looked for an opportunity to strike and despite how everything was going, he was making progress...somewhat.

He started to figure out the way Karkath fought and it was pretty simple. He just brawled, didn't have any style to it, the man probably never practiced any fighting style before and as a result, his movements were simple, though his massive frame and array of muscles carried his attacks further than they had any right to.

"Come on kid, I'm getting sick and tired of this, you're just wasting your time and more importantly, my time!" the criminal yelled out as he stomped after the teen, who had hidden behind a crate of old paint cans to buy himself some time to think.

He couldn't just play cat and mouse with the man forever, at one point he'd have to make a move but...the stakes were high. Not only did Midorya have to work with only have one powered up punch to throw before one of his arms was out, he also had to deal with the fact that he couldn't get hit either. He was pretty sure that if the shark landed a good hit on him he'd be seeing stars.

' _Think Izuku...I need an opening...how do I make one happen…'_

That was the problem...Izuku was running the situation through his head hundreds of times as he searched for the answer, mumbling incoherently all the while before his eyes were widened as he felt a tug on his collar "Found you!"

Karkath threw the boy carelessly to the middle of the room, the green haired teen skidding across the dusty floor, leaving him with a few bruises as the shark cracked his knuckles for a moment "You're giving me a really hard time, kid, I outta teach you some ma-...!" his voice died in his throat as his head whipped towards the large glass window.

A sound pierced through the walls and dug itself so deep into his skull to earn a savage growl from the man; Police sirens. "They're here already...shit!" the criminal's growl echoed through the room as he turned his head back to Midorya, who had slowly gotten back up to his feet, shivering under the man's glare "Playtime's over, brat, I need my hostage now!"

"I'm not gonna play nice!" Izuku said almost automatically with a smirk on his face, which seemed to anger the shark man even more. Something had changed with his demeanor, now that time was short he wasn't just stomping his way closer anymore, the bastard was running. Something that caught Izuku by surprise as he dastardly avoided a chomp that bit off a few strands of his hair in the process, the teen rolling away to safety with a huff.

This was bad, the holds of the sharkman were now unhinged and he seemed to be fine with actively trying to hurt the boy if it meant he could have him where he wanted. The situation had now gotten even more difficult.

"Should have turned in when ya had the chance, now I'm gonna send you back home missing a few pieces!"

* * *

Avoiding the charges of the bull man while keeping themselves away from the fast swipes of the furred criminal was a task that proved itself rather difficult for the four teens. Where one of them was left wanting the other made up for with plenty to spare.

But the teens weren't sitting ducks, they had their own quirks and the advantage of numbers, which gave them just enough room to dance around on. Be is by a tug of the tongue from the frog-like lass, a spray of slippery goop to rob their enemies of their balance or a blast to send them all recoiling, though Katsuki wasn't exploding as much as he'd want to at the moment.

No, Bakugo needed to save up for a big one, he knew that much. One big enough to send these bastards flying no matter how big or how heavy they both were. The best part was that he was just about saving up with how slick with sweat his forearms were, the drips hitting the ground below and popping like firecrackers around him.

"That's it! This is gonna be the biggest one I've made yet!"

"Bakugo, focus!" Mina called out, just in time to break the teen's carnage driven trance for him to roll out of the way of another bull charge.

"Too slow-wha…!"

But Mr Burke wasn't enough a fool to fail his plan again. The charge put too much momentum onto him, too much to change directions in the middle of it, but it didn't mean he couldn't bring someone with him as the furred bastard, who had been hitching a ride onto his back hopped off and pounced onto Bakugo, knocking him to the floor as a flurry of clawed slashes ensued.

Katsuki did his best to shield himself with his forearms, getting them bleeding and coated in scratch marks in the process in an effort to not waste all of the buildup he had been saving in this goon.

"Daaaaaaaaaaammit!"

He growled in pure, unhinged anger, his fury piercing through as he reached a hand through the quick slashes. He'd have to spend some sweat, no doubt about it, but his prodigious brain was still working his strategy even now. He would spend the least amount in the most effective way possible; flashbang.

With his palm resting a mere couple of inches from the fur covered criminal's face he'd spend some fuel to blast a bright flash onto his face, assaulting his eyes and causing him to recoil with a scream, covering his retina and ears from the sudden blast of noise and brightness. That earned Bakugo some time, but he couldn't do much from his position, for the first time in his life he was hoping someone else did something now that he had opened up an opportunity. Katsuki Bakugo, relying on other people, how the mighty have fallen.

But his hopes came to be in the form of a pink blur sliding into action and hitting the furred man square in the face with a mighty kick powered by her developed dancing muscles, sending the criminal stumbling off of him and back towards his partner.

Katsuki was forced to take her hand as she helped him up to his feet, grumbling all the meantime with a blush on his face, refusing to meet his eyes with her own "Nice kick."

The girl simply giggled with a roll of her eyes.

Once their little exchange was done, however, Katsuki finally focused back onto the scene to realize...it was time. They were finally right where he wanted them.

"Remember what I said! Now!" he called out to them, warning three nods of confirmation as their plan kicked into gear.

It started with Uraraka giving the explosive teen a pat on the back, imbuing him with anti-gravity in a pink glow. Next Asui wrapped her tongue around his chest and, in a circle motion, dragged him around over a road of slippery slime Mina had place there for them. The lack of weight and the lack of friction with the ground allowing the teen to pick up a huge amount of momentum before he was tossed off towards the two criminals, who immediately got ready for what was to come, but it was already too late, he was too fast, they couldn't react as Bakugo flew past them towards their backside, only getting a glimpse of the three girls booking it for cover before…

Kaboom.

A massive explosion that shook the entire block echoed out, knocking Mr Burke and his furred friend several meters forwards and straight through the metal front door of the building, landing them outside on the dirt.

The fur covered one was out cold, his eyes blank and his fur charred and smoky, but Mr Burke, showing true resilience slowly got up to his feet, wobbling in place before...throwing his hands up as he witnessed the small army of police men and heroes all looking at him.

* * *

Izuku was sent flying, thumping heavily across the wooden floor he skidded across like a rock thrown at a lake's surface.

Karkath wasn't pulling any punches anymore and that was a problem. With how aggressive he had become it was very difficult to find openings anymore. In his race he was unpredictable.

" _Dammit...I won't be able to land a good hit like this...think...think…"_

There had to be something he could use around him. This was a warehouse after all.

As the teen pulled himself back up with a wince, his eyes darted from side to side until he spotted something...this could work.

"You...ugh….you hit like grandma, fish face." Izuku taunted before he sprung forth to the side with a very angry predator chasing after him. This was by far his least favorite part of the plan, he could almost feel the shark breathing down his neck, but still he had to find the self control not to look behind him even once or else it would be over.

"I bet a puppy bites harder than you!" he called out again, tugging at the beastman' wrath to help make his opening

"Oh, I'll show you, brat!"

Karkath rushed forward, his jaw unhinging to show his menacing collection of sharp teeth, which he aimed to use to make the green haired dork suffer, maybe send him back home missing a finger or two.

But his eyes widened as he closed his jaw and instead of the metallic taste of blood, his mouth was filled with a toxic flavor that made him wretch and cough.

Izuku had snatched an old can of paint from the opened crate and lodged it into the sharkman's opened mouth, the can crumbling under the strength of his bite and popping with a puff of old dusty leftover paint.

That gave Izuku the opening he needed. With a growl he sprung forth, remembering the feeling from when he finally got to use All Might's quirk for the first time, the flow of energy, the thrill of adrenaline pumping through his veins followed by the sudden eruption of power concentrated into his right arm as he brought it back for a punch.

But his concentration was broken as he remembered the pain, how much it would hurt to use it, a single moment of hesitation that gave the shark enough time to hit him with a back hand across the face that would send him flying.

Would have if a sudden explosion in the lower level had not knocked the both of them out of balance as the building shook.

This was it, his last chance to make it work and Izuku could not waste it, he could not hesitate anymore.

He slammed his foot down on the floor, the rubber of his shoes screeching as he forced himself to a halt and reversed his momentum into one that drove forwards. There was no hesitation this time, he just needed one good hit. First, set it up, targeted shot on the lower belly, even without One For All it'd still hurt.

And hurt it did, the shark hunching over with a huff, already preparing a counter attack that came much too late as Midorya's next powered blow was already on its way, a powerful uppercut soaring through the air with a glowing arm as Izuku hit the beast man right on the chin "DETROIT…" and then he let it all out, all of the energy, all of the fears he had been clinging onto, all surged out as Karkath was blasted upwards through the roof with a shockwave so powerful it shattered all of the windows around them "SMASH!"

The sharkman was out cold even before he hit the floor outside next to his goons, the police and the heroes looked around in wonder of what had happening before their cheering was heard as they spotted All Might jumping down atop the roof of the warehouse...looking slightly confused.

' _ **Did the kid do this himself…?"**_

Peering in through the hole in the ceiling the symbol of justice's smile would widen as he saw his pupil, laying down on the floor and panting with a broken arm with sleepy looking eyes, but still a smile on his face.

Upon seeing his mentor, he began tearing up before wordlessly raising his good hand to form a thumbs up.

"P-Plus...Ultra!"


End file.
